Never Seem to Measure Up?

There are so many times when I feel like I'm not good enough. I'm sure you can relate to this.

I'm not smart enough, not pretty enough, not strong enough, not rich enough, patient enough, faithful enough, faith-filled enough, tall enough, skinny enough, etc. Nothing I seem to do or be or say or think measures up.

It seems to me like we're never going to measure up! There's always something that's not going to look good on our "resume for life". And, I'm quickly realizing that I think God likes it that way.

We are weak. We are never going to be good enough for anyone, especially for Jesus. Unfortunately, the sin that comes with the package of being human taints us & separates us from God. So, we are born weak. We can't do everything on our own. We will never be perfect. That's what Jesus was for. He was perfect for us. He died on the cross to bridge our separation with God & give us eternal life with Him. Quite the swap, isn't it? Our sin for His salvation? What a bargain!

Paul reminds us in 2nd Corinthians about our weakness. But, weakness isn't something that we should see with a negative perspective. We get to rejoice in our weaknesses! I know, totally foreign idea, isn't it? In a world that measures success by what kind of car you drive, what your job title is, what your spouse or family looks like, the concept of rejoicing in weakness isn't easy to wrap your brain around.

But, Paul boldly tells us that he delights in his weakness & so should we. "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses...For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:10)

Why delight in weakness? How is it that Paul can be weak & strong at the same time?

Well, whose weaknesses & strengths are we examining here? Paul's weaknesses, Christ's strengths?

God has given us His Son for our salvation. Eternally, we're set. Good to go. However, Christ gives us more than that. He gives us everything we need now, on earth. He gives us wisdom, beauty, strength, wealth, patience, faith, trust, perseverance & motivation, to name a few things. Yes, our humanness is weak. Our sin is still there. Until we walk through the pearly gates of Heaven, we'll be stuck in the muck of sin. However, we also have Christ living & breathing inside of our hearts. The Holy Spirit lives in us & blesses us with all the things we need to be strong.

When we are weak, Christ is strong.

When you look at it, it's almost better to be weak. Because the weaker we are, the stronger Christ is. If it was up to me, I would rather have the strength of Christ than any other artificial muscle out there.

So, own your weakness! Because in it, Christ is making you strong.