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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
To boast in weakness is an elusive honor reserved for broken men and women who have been rebuilt by grace. I find that I'm always searching around for some fragment of strength to boast in, always hoping for God to change his mind about showing his power in my weakness. I don't mind weaknesses as an addendum to a history of strength. As in, "And he did all of these in spite of his inability!...." But no, God isn't looking for a way around my weaknesses, but rather to magnify himself in them. The Bible is one long narrative of God's intention to bless the poor in spirit, to comfort those who mourn, to be with the contrite, to remember those who cry out for help, to deliver the prisoners, to heal the sick, to ransom the captives, to atone for the guilty, to resurrect the dead.
Help me, Lord Jesus to boast in my weaknesses. Help me to love your glory more than my own--to run forward risking all and giving all for you, all the while admitting that I have nothing to offer that you don't first give, then empower, then sustain, then preserve, then render eternally useful. Jesus, keep me near your cross of power in weakness, glory in shame, hope in death. And make my boast only in you.
