Weakness or reality?

Boasting in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9,10) and being called to walk in weakness - i.e. in humility - is a bit of a paradox. Normally boasting and humility are opposites; a seeming contradiction. 

We see other examples of this paradox in the following... "to live you must die"... "to find your life you must lose it." Don't we normally boast in our strengths, not our weakness? 

So what does this mean? In a sense, it is a play on words. Weakness is really nothing more than simply recognizing the reality of our dependence i.e. seeing ourselves according to the truth that we are dependent creatures. It is not really weakness in the commonly understood sense. It is operating according to the reality of who we are as finite beings dependent on our Infinite Creator. 

This is another way of saying we are not our own god - the opposite of the lie Adam and Eve bought into. The necessary recognition of this reality (our dependence) is actually the basis for our true strength and flourishing because it is grounded in the reality of our true nature and design as creatures.

It only ²seems like weakness to us if and when we are committed to being our "own god" ...being our own god is not actually possible because this ultimately leads to eternal death and separation from the only true God.

"Weakness" is only being who we were designed to be and really are - finite creatures created in God's image - totally dependent on our Creator and his love to operate fully as God intended and designed us to. When we recognize this "weakness" we are strong in our dependence on God and the power He gives in and through His love/Spirit.

This is not alien to who we really are - who we were created to be - but only to who we choose to be i.e. our own god. Therefore, we are actually strong in God only when we are weak in ourselves. 

"...Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing... As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love..." - John 15:5b and 9

These are Jesus own words in the upper room shortly before his betrayal and upcoming crucifixion (the completion of his own humiliation and ultimate experience of weakness on our behalf). 

This type of "weakness" recognizes all life, love, meaning, and purpose is from God alone, not ourselves, and to living accordingly. 

We were never designed to be our own god; to operate independently of God and outside of his infinite, boundless love. To attempt doing so leads to death, just as God warned. 

To live in this way (as totally independent) only gives the appearance of power. And it often does feel powerful but only for a season because it is not power rooted in the reality that from, through, and to God - not us -  are all things. Trying to be our own god is short term power rooted in the lie that we can be i.e. we are the source of power and God isn't.  

To live according to truth, the way we were designed to live, is to live fully and truly. It is not weakness, it is true power, it is fullness of life; abundant life. It is being loved with nothing less than the infinite, eternal love and joy that flows between the Father and the Son, via the Spirit; the very essence of the life of God.

We are only to be weak "in the flesh" i.e. in our attempts to garner the approval of God and man by our efforts. 

However, we are to be strong "in the Spirit" i.e. in actions driven by the Spirit/Love. In and by so doing we bear much fruit for his glory. 

Joh 17:3  And this is eternal life, that they ¹know you (the Father) the only true God, and (I) Jesus Christ whom you have sent. - 

Jesus talking to his Father right before he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.

For a further discussion on the difference between operating "in the flesh" vs "in the Spirit" see the following... 

Defining terms: the flesh, the Spirit, living in and by the Spirit, living under or by the law etc

Starting in the Spirit, ending in the flesh. 

"performance" or action by faith

The above was inspired by "Way of the Dragon or The Way of the Lamb" page 13. by Jamin Goggin and Kyle Stroble. 

To download the intro and chapter 1 from the book click here and "get a free chapter" on the bottom right. 

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¹know: ginōskō - Thayer Definition:

1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel

1a) to become known

2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of

2a) to understand

2b) to know

3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse (i.e. intimate knowledge through first hand experience- my comment) between a man and a woman

4) to become acquainted with, to know

²seems like weakness... I would add it also feels like weakness. Whenever we are required to depend on someone this feels weak. The real issue however is it requires trust when distrust is the heart of our problem. We don't want or like to trust. We like being our own god. Yet being finite requires we trust and if we are wise we trust Him who along knows all things and loves us infinitely. 

 

We prefer to follow in the footsteps and example of Adam. The is bound up in the very core of our being. However when you consider we are dependent creatures, it is in reality simply acting as we were created to act i.e. as finite creatures created in the image of the infinite Creator.

denial of dependence

Our problem isn't weakness/dependence, it is the denial of it. We are in fact, dependent and finite creatures. And because we deny this we miss out on the fullness of life available only in being dependent on and reconnected to the infinite source of life. 

Joh 14:6  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

Joh 17:2  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 

The world being in bondage, with all the pain and suffering that comes with it, is - in a roundabout way - actually a blessing. It is a stark remember we were never designed to live independent of God - i.e. to be our own god. Therefore, it can be the means of our turning back to him. How many have turned to Christ in a moment of great pain?

But only if we acknowledge our need for God first and relinquish our commitment to being our own god, does it become a blessing. Otherwise, it is a curse. 

"... in weakness and vulnerability we are trusting in Christ and his strength, so what we think of as weakness is from a worldly point of view. In actuality, it is a means of real power. In the words of Bonhoeffer, “What may appear weak and trifling to us may be great and glorious to God.” The Way of the Dragon and The Way of the Lamb. Pg 115

seeking comfort

Seeking comfort-pleasure is merely the flip side of avoiding pain. This is a clue that pain is the true underlying state of our present condition.

Why are we drawn to comfort? Through it, we gain a sense of importance - significance - value. To not have a sense of these is ¹painful.

We are also drawn to anything that gives comfort because it makes us feel we have control over our pain. And to some degree we do, but only temporarily.

We prefer control and resist dependence with everything that is in us. We don't like trusting and, depending on anything we don't control. Dependence gives us a feeling of weakness. We don't like being weak. We avoid anything that makes us feel inadequate or insufficient – to experience this is ¹painful. We are drawn to anything that makes us feel strong and significant - in control.

Yet, ironically, there is value in weakness and failure. It is a reality check. It helps us realize our limits – how weak and dependent we truly are. It causes us to consider that ultimately we must rely on God to be all we were designed to be. 

It also makes us consider that wanting what we most need but do not fully have yet, is not available in this life. This causes us to think beyond this life. 

For those who trust in God, this is also a reminder we won't have all we are designed for until we are fully united with our Creator in eternity, i.e. until we are glorified -- the true and ultimate state of existence we were designed for.
 

Longing is painful

We all long for a greater sense of meaning and purpose. However, this longing is painful. It speaks of something missing. The greater the longing, the greater the pain.

But, the more we enter into the pain of longing, the more we increase our capacity to experience God in all His glory – what we are ultimately created for. This is true now but even more importantly, in eternity. Therefore, we should not avoid our longings or seek to satisfy them temporarily by our independent efforts, but let them press us closer to God.

For a fuller discussion of “the anatomy of pain” click here.

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¹We weren’t designed to feel insignificant but important. This is a necessary part of our makeup so we might participate in a relationship with the most significant-important Being in the Universe – the Creator and Sustainer of all things. For further discussion, click here and here. 

Because this relationship is severed – by our choice – our self-image is severely damaged and extremely fragile. We are constantly looking to ease the pain of this damage and protect ourselves.

This is why we are so easily influenced by the labels others give to us, both positive and negative? The more significant another person and our relationship with them are – such as a parent, a coach, a mentor, a leader, a spouse or some other person of influence etc. – the more impact their words have on how we see ourselves – i.e. our self-image.

However, the only opinion-identity that matters ultimately is the one given to us by our Creator, the most significant person of all.  We are the beloved sons and daughters of God, loved in the same way the Father loves his only begotten Son.  If the most important being in all the universe -- the Creator and Sustainer of all things -- considers us this valuable that is saying something most significant about us vs. what anybody else says. "If God is for us who can be against us?..."

 

When we are weak we are strong

God's power is perfected in our weakness. If we do not understand this we will interpret his guidance as ¹abandonment.

Do we have any examples to support this in scripture? Not only do we have several examples, but the ultimate example by the most significant person who ever walked the earth.

What did the Spirit do after the public announcement of Christ's ministry? He led him into the wilderness to be tested.

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." - Mat 4:1

It wasn't until after this that Christ went forth in power to share the good news of His coming kingdom.

If this was necessary for Christ how much more so for us?

Paul tells us that God's power is perfected in our struggles and weakness (2 Cor 12:8-9). God even sent a messenger of Satan to harass him, not unlike God allowing Satan to inflict suffering on Job. God was in charge in both cases. If we do not understand this we will interpret God's directing us into periods of testing as ¹abandonment.

We usually don't feel like God is with us when we are in the wilderness, do we? It is  usually lonely and often confusing. We are tempted to ask God, "where are you?! Why have you ¹left me?!

Yet Christ himself learned obedience through the things He suffered. If this was necessary for Christ, the perfect Son of God and man, why would or should it be different for us who are far from perfect? 

Our need to learn to trust the Father is greater than Christ's - though His trust in the Father was tested far more than ours will likely ever be. 

"Therefore...let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb 12:1-2

If we do not understand that God is in the test - working by and through it for our spiritual advancement - we will not be able to "count it all joy" as James exhorts, when we go through hard times. We will be unstable and tossed about in and by our distrust.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith (trust) produces steadfastness. 

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man (who trusts God one moment and doubts Hin the next), unstable in all his ways." - James 1:2-8

For a discussion on why faith is a fight click here. 
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¹Matthew 27:46 ESV‬‬
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Weakness OR power?

We must be careful not to have an "either-or" mindset when it comes to weakness/humility vs power/effort. To say it another way, humility does not negate the importance of excellence in execution. It only addresses the disposition (motive) with which execution is carried out. 

Excellence in execution should always be how we seek to honor -- bring glory to -- God. In fact, it is a significant part of how we do so. 

Many Christians exercise false humility as an excuse to not pursue excellence. As a result, many things "Christian" are often of inferior quality. I know, because I used to think this way. I took the attitude, "God loves me no matter what, so the quality of my work or the diligence of my effort doesn't matter." In one sense, this is true. As far as God's love for us, it does not matter. His love is based on the work of Christ, not ours. But as far as our flourishing and participating in and experiencing all that God has for us, all he designed us to be and accomplish, and bringing him the greatest glory possible, it totally matters. 

How can doing things with less than excellence be more honoring to God than things executed excellently? They can not. God is the overflowing God and author of excellence, beauty, majesty, bounty, love etc. 

How many times have we heard (or felt) regarding a "Christian" enterprise - such as a movie or song - that this is a "typical"  Christian production i.e. implying it is inferior -- not in substance/content of the message, but in presentation or form -- compared to what nonbelievers produce?

This has not always been the case. Think of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach or Michelangelo or the quality of education provided by some of the earliest higher learning institutions, such as Harvard and Yale. These were all the fruit of a desire to honor God through the diligent use of God's gifts to produce something excellent for his glory. 

Paul gives us an example of how we are to go about things. 

Col 1:29  For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. 

We are also told that whether we eat, drink or whatever we do, do all to the glory of God 1Co 10:31. This suggests we act not just with the intent of pointing others to him but with the degree of effort necessary to produce the best possible result/outcome for his honor. Loving God with all our strength (energy, effort) is part of the greatest commandment, is it not? This says great effort driven by a desire to honor God is superior to efforts seeking to exalt self i.e. God is superior to self.

If we have to choose between operating with humility and operating with excellence the former is always the better choice. No amount of excellence in itself will bring the greatest honor to God -- at least not deliberately i.e. it is not the intent of the producer. But if we can operate with both humility (1st) and excellence as a fruit of humility, that is the preferred option and should always be our ultimate desire and goal.

For a further discussion on the importance of excellence click here. 

For a further discussion on how a great outcome is in proportion to great effort click here.