The Power of Inadequacy
When I Am Weak – Part 1

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

My title for this week’s devotionals is, “The Power of Inadequacy.” I know that title is counterintuitive to most people. We like to feel adequate for every task that we tackle. In fact, especially for men, being inadequate is one of our worst fears. However, for Christ followers there is a different perspective on this issue. In our scripture passage for today, the Apostle Paul is telling about a “thorn in the flesh” that he has and wants desperately to get rid of. He pleads with the Lord to take it from him, yet after three requests to the Lord, he hears the answer: no. God said no to Paul’s request because, according to Paul’s understanding, Paul needed the “thorn” to keep him humbly dependent on the Lord. Because of his dependence, Paul became stronger.

Jesus wants His followers to feel inadequate to the degree that they feel desperate for help beyond themselves; that they feel a need for God to step in. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, this feeling of being inadequate. It is a feeling that we often fight, so we fake our way through, acting like we feel adequate. We hide our feelings of inadequacy so others, we hope, won’t know how weak we feel. God wants His children to stop the fighting and hiding of these feelings. He wants us who believe in Him to start to celebrate these feelings of inadequacies and allow them to drive us to Him! We have no need to fear inadequate; it will make us strong if we allow these feelings to drive us to God!

Father, I know how inadequate I am to accomplish your purposes in my life; I need you! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.