Rising Strong: Embracing God’s Grace in Our Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
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. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

God calls each of us to fulfill various tasks and roles in our lives. Every one of us have encountered times when we grapple with overwhelming feelings of inadequacy. fear and insecurity. From the depths of self-doubt to the pain of rejection, and everything in between, we have all walked these paths at some point. We have all known times when we have felt so insufficient that we want to give up, convinced that we are simply not good enough.

In the Bible, we discover numerous examples of individuals who, wrestled with their own sense of inadequacy. Remarkably, these stories don’t end with their weaknesses; rather, they reveal how God employed them despite their limitations.

Some examples from the Bible

• Moses was afraid, he felt inadequate. His reasons and excuses ranged from who am I? (Exodus 3:11). What if? (Exodus 3:13). I have never? (Exodus 4:1). Finally ‘please send someone else’ (Exodus 4:10-13)
  God’s calling does not depend on our abilities, rather on our obedience. He equips us when we obey.
• Gideon felt weak. His reasons were that he came from the weakest, smallest, was the least (Judges 6:11-13)
  God understands our doubts and fears. He uses our weaknesses to depend on Him and we experience His strength
• Jeremiah felt inadequate because he was too young, didn’t know how to speak. He feared failure. (Jeremiah 1:4-10)
  God fulfils His purposes in spite of our fears when we trust Him
• The Centurion felt unworthy, underserving to even have Jesus under his roof (Mathew 8:8)
  Jesus recognized his faith and praised him.
• The woman with bleeding felt untouchable, rejected by society and unclean.(Mark 5:25-26)
  Jesus heals this outcast woman and calls her ‘daughter‘
• The Samaritan woman felt isolated by society because of her lifestyle and her past, rejected by the Jews for being from the wrong (Samaritan) race. (John 4)
  Jesus seeks her out and frees her to share that love with others
  
  Each of these stories of inadequacy and God’s equipping grace, remind us that our own weaknesses need not deter us from answering God’s call. Just as He worked through each of these people of the Bible, God continues to use imperfect vessels for His extraordinary purposes. May we choose to build on Jesus and find our strength in God’s equipping grace, ever knowing that it is not I, but Christ in me.

Lord, please touch and release me today.

1. Have there been moments in your life when you felt inadequate or rejected, and how did you respond to those feelings?
2. Consider a time when you faced a challenge or task that seemed beyond your abilities. How did you handle it, and did you seek God’s guidance and strength?
3. Reflect on the concept that God’s calling doesn’t depend on your abilities but your obedience. In what areas of your life do you feel called to obey God, even if you feel inadequate?

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