5 Reasons God’s Strength Is Made Perfect in Weakness // Upside Down Kingdom, Part 2 2Rivers Church Messages

God’s strength is made perfect in weakness according to the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12. Can it be true? Or does God only value our self-reliance? Let’s find out. 

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Our culture doesn’t celebrate weakness, but strength. But in 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul flips this idea on its head when he responds to challenges around his ministry.

People were holding Paul’s many weaknesses against him. In his response, Paul says he’d gladly boast about his weaknesses instead of his strengths:

2 Corinthians 12:6–10 (NIV):
6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,
7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
10 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.

Here are 5 reasons God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.

1. BAD THINGS DO HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE, AND GOD WILL GIVE US MORE THAN WE CAN HANDLE.

Though God protects us, He allows us to experience difficulty. God may give you more than you can handle, but He’ll never give you more than HE can handle!

See 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV) 

2. IT’S PERFECTLY NORMAL TO PRAY FOR THORNS TO BE REMOVED.

Even though Paul pleaded with God to remove hardship, God didn’t. If you experience hardship, it’s OK to pray about it. But in this case, even though Paul pleaded with God to remove hardship from His life, the Lord chose not to take it away. It will strengthen your prayer life!

See 2 Corinthians 12:8 (NIV)

3. THORNS ARE USED TO RESIZE US.

God’s in control. But when God allows difficulty into our lives, He often uses it to remind us we’re not as big as we think.

See 2 Corinthians 12:7 and Job 42:5

4. THORNS ARE USED TO REMIND US.

In our weakness, God can shine through. His strength, sufficiency, and power can show up. When it does, we remember how great He is. 

See 2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Corinthians 4:7, 2 Timothy 1:7–8, and Ephesians 3:20–21

5. WHEN EXPERIENCING THORNS, WE CAN BECOME BITTER, GIVE UP, OR TRUST GOD.

It’s easy to think that if something good happens, we accomplish something alone. But difficulty reminds us that if any good thing happens to us or through us, God did it.

See 2 Corinthians 12:10 and 1 Corinthians 1:27–29

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