His Strength in My Weakness

Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ~2 Corinthians 12:8-9~

This has been my life’s verse. There have been times in my life when I knew God put something right in front of me to do, but in my heart I knew it was impossible in my own strength. Many times fear held me back, even though I desperately wanted to trust Him in it. Fear of failure, fear of looking stupid. 

One day He gave me a revelation of this verse, and it changed my life. There was no longer any pressure to be someone I wasn’t, or to pretend that I could…but to allow His strength to transform me to do His will. God isn’t looking for perfect people. No one, except for God, is perfect. All He needs is our “yes”, and faith in Him to do it in or through me. 

Last week I was at the gym and suddenly I felt a prompt from Jesus to go and pray for the young lady who was working a few feet away. But I didn’t know what to pray! So I leaned on Jesus and said yes. I walked over and told her I felt a prompt from God to go over and pray for her, then asked what she needed. She appeared dumbfounded. Her jaw dropped open as she stared at me. As it turned out, she was the mother of three very young boys, and all with challenges one way or another. She spilled out some of her fears, and her desire for her boys to fit in. But even in church she had been told things that made her feel like she wasn’t a good mother, so they’d never been back. How sad that she had been criticized, and in church.

So I prayed for her and her boys. Then Jesus led me to just speak love to her…tell her that Jesus loves her very much, she is so precious to Him. I told her He is so proud of her, and that she is a good mother! She was crying through this. When I finished, I smiled at her and we parted ways, but I could tell she was touched by God. I knew God had shown me what she needed just then, to be encouraged and told that He loved her just as she was.

He can use me in spite of my weaknesses, or even my fears. He will use you too in your weaknesses if you are able to give them to Him and accept His strength in return. He is faithful and He will do it! 

“Let all those rejoice who put their trust in you; let them ever shout for joy, because You protect them.” ~Psalm 5:11~

by Olive Boettcher