“That’s why I take pleasure in all my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and trouble that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:10
Yesterday, we posed this question: when life hits a tough season, and everything appears as if it is going to fall apart, how will you respond? Like the world that murmurs, complains, questions, and accuses? Or like Paul?
Listen, Paul didn’t want the thorn he was given. In fact, he prayed three times for the Lord to take it away, but at the same time, he understood that God allowed it and that God would use it. And those two reminders served as the foundation for his response.
How did Paul respond? He tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 after Jesus told him… “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Paul responds, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in all my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and trouble that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
That, my friend, is perspective. When you have that kind of perspective, it changes the story you tell. Instead of being the victim who doesn’t understand why this is happening to you, you turn it. You understand that what God has placed in your life was a divine dart intended just for you. God allowed it, and He is going to use it for your glory.
What a different story! When you change your perspective, when you stop seeing your situation in a negative light of “what’s happening to me,” and you turn it to “This is what God is doing FOR ME,” your story changes. And that is when God changes YOU and YOUR LIFE.