2 Corinthians 12:10

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.

2 Corinthians 12:10

Paul’s final conclusion when considering his weaknesses is that since the Lord’s power is most fully demonstrated in light of man’s weakness, he is then able not only to endure persecutions, hardships, and difficulties, he is able to delight in them. To further illustrate the depths of trials Paul is describing we need only look back to chapter 11 where he outlines the array of experiences he has encountered in service to the Lord. These often horrifying trials give us a fuller grasp of the strength of Paul’s confident assertion in v10. We can see that Paul’s words were not mere conjecture or empty philosophy but rather a bold conclusion born of faith in light of vast amounts of personal experience.

Those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus can look to this verse to comfort and inspire us in our service to the Lord. Too often, though, our own experiences speak to the contrary. When we encounter hardships, difficulties, and God forbid, persecutions, we turn quickly not to delight but to depression, bitterness, or complaining. Too often our conception of what it means to be a follower of Jesus is faulty. Perhaps we have come to believe that if we follow Jesus we will not encounter troubles at all. This is, of course, negated by Scripture where Jesus tells his followers that “in this world you will have trouble” and “if the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.” We were never promised an easy or comfortable life if we chose to follow Christ. On the contrary, we were promised hardship. Perhaps, if we are consistently experiencing a comfortable existence free from the troubles Jesus assured us were coming, we are not actually living lives for Jesus. Perhaps we are missing (or ignoring) the voice of the Holy Spirit calling us to purity and the mission of serving Christ. The life of following Jesus is one of mission. It is not simply a conventional life with little bits of Jesus sprinkled in. The life of a Christian is radically different from mere existence. The aim is glorifying the Lord and witnessing to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ rather than a continual (and unattainable) quest for comfort and safety. It is a life focused upon the twin goals of loving the Lord and loving our neighbors. All else, as comforting, appealing, or entertaining as it may be, is superfluous in comparison to the call the Lord has put to every believer. Each of our specific circumstances, callings, and gifts are different, of course. We may not be called to emulate the lifestyle or practices of a missionary preacher such as Paul but the attitude of obedience and focus on our calling should be the driving force in our life.

The second assertion confirmed by this verse concerns our attitudes when we do encounter trials. As we have seen, it is of the utmost importance that we live fully aware of our identity as followers of Jesus and that the purpose of our life should be viewed within that context. As we do so, to greater and lesser degrees, we will experience insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties. First, note that in this verse (as in other portions of Scripture) Paul assumes that he will encounter these things. They are not a surprise. They are not anomalies in the Lord’s will. They are an expectation. We too should expect to encounter similar trials if we concern ourselves with the cause of Christ. Secondly, when we encounter these trials, our attitude should not be one of complaining, grumbling, bitterness, or indignation. Too often our first response to opposition is to complain about it. I don’t want to minimize pain or invalidate struggles (the psalms are evidence that our emotions and complaints are a normative part of an authentic spiritual life) but often our complaints against uncomfortable circumstances are really just us not trusting that: a) God is good or b) God is in control. We all are in the process of releasing these objections to the Lord. There are a thousand gradations of situations in which we trust or struggle to trust the Lord. One reaction might be ten seconds of griping when something doesn’t go our way. Another might be a life philosophy born out of an unspoken disappointment or a belief that the Lord won’t be there when we need Him. In each of these situations we must wrestle with our doubts; with our objections until we can say, “not my will, but yours.” Though we struggle, our ultimate aim is one of complete surrender.

The reason we can not only persevere through, but even delight in our trials is that the Lord’s power is made perfect in our weaknesses. The fragility of our own physical bodies and the persistent proclivity to sin (“prone to wander, Lord I feel it) only serves as the backdrop for the Lord’s power. The Lord can work through us as we struggle to live lives free of sin. The Lord can work through us as our bodies are affected physically and mentally. The Lord can work through us as we wrestle with imperfect theology. Moreover, the fact that, through Christ, the Lord would even choose to atone for the sins of such a sinful, self-centered, and imperfect people such as us shows how loving and faithful He is. Our imperfections demonstrate the perfection of God. Our fragility demonstrates His power. Our wavering hearts demonstrate His faithfulness.