Perfect in weakness

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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." 2 Corinthians 12:8,9

In an article published yesterday by The New York Times titled, "Why Running May Be Good for Your Back", experts concluded that, "People who regularly run or walk briskly appear to have healthier discs in their spines than people who do not exercise, according to one of the first studies to closely examine links between movement and disc health. The findings refute a widely held belief that activities like running might overtax the spine and indicate that, instead, they make it sturdier." That's certainly good news isn't it? 

And while that is definitely good news, it's also a reminder that our health is not the only area where widely held beliefs have no basis for truth. You see, there are many myths that Christians, even mature ones, believe that just aren't true. One of which is, "God won't ever give me more than I can handle." This couldn't be farther from the truth as the apostle Paul learned soon after converting to Christianity and given a thorn in his flesh. Rather than healing him as Paul pleaded three times, God responded with an amazing promise, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul realized that his weakness, or the thing that was more than he could handle, was the very key to experiencing God's strength and not his own. It's no wonder that he would boast about his weaknesses then is it?

As Paul learned, God needs to break us so he can use us. And the very things God uses to do that are the situations and maladies that are more than we can handle. It's only then, when we are utterly broken and in admittance of our weakness, that we learn to seek God as the Provider of our strength and the Sustainer of our needs. And that my friend is why we, too, can boast about our weaknesses.  

Heavenly Father, thank you for brokenness that leads to the knowledge that we were never meant to handle life on our own but to have a total dependence on you. Although it may be hard, help us to praise you for those things that we can't handle on our own and then praise you again when your power is made perfect in our weakness. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!!!
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His strength is perfect - Steven Curtis Chapman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGC9KT918Kk

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/well/move/why-running-may-be-good-for-your-back.html?_r=0