Strength in the Struggle
By Dean Collins
In the late 90s, a University of Nebraska psychologist created an assessment called StrengthsFinder. Many of you may have taken this assessment. Briefly, the assessment was created to help identify your natural strengths and talents. And once you know them, the idea is to leverage what you do best in your work and life. Many prominent corporations and colleges use this assessment to help identify and leverage talent. My top five strengths according to this assessment are Strategic, Futuristic, Achiever, Self-Assurance, and Belief. I'm a believer in identifying and utilizing your talents and strengths.
In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul spends a couple of chapters where he talks about his weaknesses. Maybe if Paul developed an assessment, it would be called FrailFinder. Paul experienced much opposition in his missionary journeys by groups who worked to discredit his apostleship and leadership in the church. Paul also talked about how Satan worked to oppose him, and in describing his condition, Paul used a metaphor of having a "thorn in the flesh" that, even after praying to God to remove, he had to live with. Cognitive psychology might suggest that Paul "reframed" his difficult situations and afflictions in order to leverage his weaknesses as strength.
Paul expresses that ultimately the Lord told him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
So then, do we operate within our strengths or our weaknesses as we do our business and live our lives? I think the answer is yes to both. Paul, earlier in Corinthians and later in Romans, talks about gifts or abilities that God gives His people. Jesus, in His parable of the talents, might be saying the same thing. So today, you should thank God for your unique talents and leverage them to do your work. God can receive glory through the offering of your strengths and talents to Him.
And at the same time, know that you and I come from brokenness. All of us fight something. It might be depression; it might be the scars of a dysfunctional family; it could be an addiction of some sort; it could be the horrors of abuse. The cause of our weaknesses may be apparent or unknown, but I am confident that Paul is right—that when we embrace and acknowledge our weakness, God utilizes it and us for His purposes, and His purpose will always be to help and restore another on their journey to salvation, healing, and restoration.
Use your strengths and your weaknesses. But I think Paul would add that bragging about your strengths tends toward unhealthy pride. If we boast, let's boast about the amazing things God does in and through our brokenness.
Father, today we thank You for the gifts that You gave us to use in service to You and for others. Forgive us for the times we seek attention and fame while using gifts that come from You. Father, we want our lives to reflect the words of Paul: “If I must boast, I will boast in the things that show my weakness.” We trust in Your all-sufficient grace to guide us today as we seek to raise You up. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
2 Corinthians 11:30, 12:7-10, 13:9,11 ESV
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