When I Am Weak, Then Am I Strong

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul gives us the above statement. After a mostly pleasant morning became colored by my frustrations and annoyances, I read this and wondered, now what do you mean, Paul? When I am Weak, Then am I Strong? How exactly?

The matter required further delving into the scriptures to understand. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 is given after Paul tells us he prayed three times for the Lord to remove his “thorn in the flesh” from him. The scripture says, “And he (the Lord) said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore will I (Paul) rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (I added the quotes and names for clarification).

Okay, Paul, so what you are saying is that because you have weaknesses, there are qualities in your character which need the power of Christ to change. When the power of Christ is there with you, helping you, you are strong because of His presence.

But what about how I was frustrated this morning? I didn't feel strong. I didn't feel Christ working in me. Of course, I realized, that's because I wasn't letting Him. I mean, I was giving into my weakness instead of asking for His help with it. Without His help, when I am weak, I'm just weak.

I studied further. One of the footnotes led me to this scripture: “And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27).

Ah. So the next time in the same situation, if I am humble and aware of my weakness, and if I slow down and take the time to petition the Lord for His help, then He will help me to change my direction and choose actions that are more reflective of a Christlike nature. Sometimes the petition may just be a 10 second prayer and a few deep breaths. Other times, a weakness or distress may feel so strong that it overcomes our whole souls for a time. When this happens, we must fall to our knees as well, and humbly petition the Lord for His help in whatever capacity we need. We can faithfully offer prayer to Him for as long as it takes until His healing peace and comfort, even His strength and grace overwhelms our souls and changes us from someone who feels out of control into someone who can handle anything.