Strength in Weakness

Sep 30 2025 - Eric Buresh

“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.”—2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) 

What a paradox! The world despises personal weakness and glories in human strength, but the Christian glories in their weakness and boasts in the strength of Christ. It is the great Gospel mystery: that our limitations are not chains, but channels; not hindrances, but holy opportunities for enjoying Divine power. 

The Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Not was sufficient, not will be sufficient, but is sufficient—a present day, unceasing fountain that never runs dry. Grace is not a one-time gift bestowed at conversion and then left behind. It is the daily power that God wields on our behalf, the continual oil for our lamp, the ceaseless strength granted to the weary pilgrim. Every morning His mercy is new; every hour His grace sustains; every trial meets with the answer of His sufficiency. 

I am so weak. So finite. So unable to control today or the future. So devoid of ability to protect myself or those I care about. I could lie to myself for false comfort. I could shudder in shame at my humanness. But no, I say with Paul, I will rather boast in my weakness, for then I become the very stage upon which Christ displays His glory and power. The cracked vessel lets the light shine through. The frail reed becomes the instrument of sweetest song when breathed upon by the Spirit of God. 

We are so prone to trust in self—our cleverness, our discipline, our resolve—but the Lord lovingly strips us of such vain confidences, and if we don’t resist it, we learn to lean on Him. He brings us to the end of ourselves that we might discover His power. True strength (the kind that controls outcomes and destinies) is never found in any human, but only in Christ’s presence resting upon His children. 

Do you recognize your human state? Do you know the sting of a trial you couldn’t control, the frailty of flesh, the weakness of spirit? This is no curse, but a holy invitation. For there, in your weakness, the power of Christ blooms like a flower. Yield your weakness to Him. Trust His sufficiency. Lean not on your own strength or understanding but rest in His. For when we are weak, then are we strong—not in ourselves, but in Him whose strength carries us as a loving and good Shepherd.