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Worship in Weakness
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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
I Despise Weakness
Relational debt, housework debt, and the dread of some procrastinated project sneaks up, drains the life out of me, and leaves me feeling discouraged and flat-out weak. Those overwhelming moments reveal my true weakness. Yet too often, I deny it. Blind with my ambition, I reach for my bootstraps, pull myself up, and get back to work.
My heart naturally resists depending on God when I am weak. The noise in my heart, amplified by tough self-sufficiency, can drown out the Holy Spirit’s reminder: “my power is made perfect in your weakness.”
Yet Weakness Is a Gift
And then there are the times when his voice breaks through the noise and exposes my heart. It is a struggle to swallow my pride and obey, but in that turn of repentance—right in the midst of the mess—I begin to hope again.
The truth is, I am weak every second, not just when I feel overwhelmed. Jesus wants me to see that when I am overwhelmed, he is giving me a gracious gift: my constant need for him. Rather than despising weakness, I can boast in it because it draws me closer to Jesus in worship.
God meets me at the point of my prideful self-sufficiency and lovingly brings me to my knees in worshipful dependence.
The other day, I was scurrying around the house getting stuff done feeling very behind on my seemingly urgent tasks. Our third child invited me to play dolls.
Pause.
Graciously say no or accept this opportunity to connect with my daughter? In the moment, overwhelmed with my work, my heart was faint. I thought, “I can’t play right now!” Yet, the Holy Spirit changed my thoughts to dependence and flexibility in my weakness.
Feeling overwhelmed is a signal to check my heart’s dependence on God. Am I softened to the Holy Spirit? Am I digging in to depend on God? Do I find my soul’s refreshment in God’s sufficiency? In these times, I’m learning to cling to my saviour who accomplished perfect work on the cross and continues to save me from my sin. God meets me at the point of my prideful self-sufficiency and lovingly brings me to my knees in worshipful dependence.
My daughter and I had a great time playing. When I went back to work, my heart was more tender than before.
We Must Boast in Our Weakness
Worship through work is not just working hard for God’s glory; it is also in the attitude of humility, realizing how weak and unable we are. We can all grow in dependence on Christ and boast in our weakness by humbling ourselves before the face of God and thanking him for that gift. His power is made perfect in and through our weakness, as we claim the strength of Christ.