Tuesday, October 2, 2012

When God Gives Us Growing Pains

My heart is heavy today. I know so many people going through hard things. When they come to me, my heart goes out to them. At the same time, my flesh recoils.
 I am the least-qualified person in the whole world to walk through this with you.
The more they share, the more weight I feel inside.
I just want to DO something. But I can't make this right.
Could it be that helpless is right where I'm supposed to be? The panic that pushes me to my knees is completely right? The brokenness that overwhelms my heart is a beautiful, intentional wound?

This is one of God's growing pains. 

"But he said to me 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT) 
Why do we despise weakness? Why do we panic when there's nothing we can do? This verse is is the first to come to my heart when I think of weakness. It is often quoted- yet in my heart, it is rarely applied. There is NOTHING I can do. PRAISE GOD for another opportunity to show His power by my weakness!

 "Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9b & 10, NLT)          

 Am I clinging to the Lord after the death of my child? No.
Am fighting to love my spouse in a marriage that is a source of daily agony to me? No.
Am I on the brink of giving up and walking away because it hurts too much? No.
But I'm walking next to someone who is. And instead of cowering in fear because 'I can't help', it's time to embrace my weakness, and watch what the power of God will do. 
Are you helpless? Desolate? Empty? Be encouraged by the power of your weakness. It will change your world.


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