I was forced to resign from the ministry I loved.
Women’s ministry was—and is—my passion. Serving the local church through teaching the Bible, speaking at conferences, leading prayer, and training leaders is my life’s mission. Then it all came crashing down due to a prolonged health battle. God made it clear that I could no longer meet the demands required to lead in ministry. I knew what I had to do, but it was still one of the hardest and most humbling decisions I’ve ever made.
As I grieved the loss of my ministry, God surprised me. Despite my physical limitations, He invited me to take a step of faith to serve at a Revive Our Hearts conference even though I wasn’t the strong woman I once was.
My experience altered everything I thought I knew about 2 Corinthians 12:9–10.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”
Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I couldn’t understand it, much less explain what was happening as I found renewed strength to serve the Lord during a two-day national conference that would be exhausting for an energetic person. (Ask anyone on the ROH team!) As concerned friends asked how I was holding up, these Holy Spirit-inspired words fumbled from my lips, “I’ve never been weaker in my life and I’ve never been stronger in Christ.”
Our Weakness, Christ’s Strength
I’ve come to learn that weakness is precious. It’s one of God’s sweetest gifts because it tangibly demonstrates how truly desperate we are without Him. Weakness drives us to our Father after exhausting every mirage pretending to offer stability. We say we need Jesus and sincerely mean it. But I’m convinced a believer’s dependence on Him is even more than we realize.
Think back to Judges 7 when God reduced the Israelite army from 32,000 soldiers to 300. The point was to guarantee that the victory over the Midianites could only be credited to God’s strength and not Gideon’s bravery (Judges 7:2).The times when I feel strong, confident, and in control of my life may just be when I’m the farthest away from God—the ultimate source of strength.
If you’re feeling weak today, I won’t tell you how strong you are or that you can overcome any obstacle life hurls at you. I won’t lie to you by saying, “You’ve got this!” Instead, I will remind you that weak Christians have a strong Savior who has overcome the world.
The Lamb of God was crucified in weakness and conquered the grave to live by the power of God (2 Cor. 13:4). The cross is a story that spans from weakness to strength, from fragility to vigor, from infirmity to vitality. It’s your story and mine.
A Prayer for Renewed Strength
Fellow saints, you can take glory in your weakness, knowing that Christ is exalted through it. Rejoice in the unexplainable strength only God provides. Delight in drawing near to your Savior with the assurance that He is drawn to you in your frailty. As you do, you’ll discover His grace to be more than ample for each agonizing affliction, tempestuous trial, and mountain-sized mess you encounter. Here’s a prayer steeped in Scripture to guide you to Jesus.
Lord, I am weak and draw near to You for strength . . .
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2)God, you are awe-inspiring in your sanctuaries.
The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God! (Psalm 68:35)The LORD is the strength of his people;
he is a stronghold of salvation for his anointed. (Psalm 28:8)
Kind Father, You alone can give the kind of strength I need . . .
Happy are the people whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.They go from strength to strength;
each appears before God in Zion.
(Psalm 84:5,7)The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart celebrates,
and I give thanks to him with my song.The LORD is the strength of his people;
he is a stronghold of salvation for his anointed.
Save your people, bless your possession,
shepherd them, and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:7–9)He gives strength to the faint
and strengthens the powerless.
Youths may become faint and weary,
and young men stumble and fall,
but those who trust in the LORD
will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not become weary,
they will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29–31)Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. (Ephesians 6:10)
Gracious God, strengthen me through Your Son for the battles raging around me . . .
For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. (2 Samuel 22:40 ESV)
God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
I will keep watch for you, my strength, because God is my stronghold. To you, my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold—my faithful God. (Psalm 59:9, 17)
On the day I called, you answered me; you increased strength within me. (Psalm 138:3)
Thank You, precious Lord, for reminding me that You are my strength. While I wait for You to answer this prayer, I welcome my weakness as an opportunity to display the glories of Your Son, Jesus. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Amen.
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