Ep 313 – 2 Corinthians 12

Power in weakness. That is NOT a part of the American cultural mindset. Weakness is nothing more than what it is: weakness; and it is to be avoided at all costs. We are strength-addicted. We want strong bodies, strong portfolios, healthy and robust social lives, strong kids, strong marriages, and the protection of a strong military infrastructure, backed by a strong government that reflects our strongly held political beliefs. But, as we will see in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul is going to take a dramatically different approach to life, finding pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and troubles. It would be easy to write off Paul as a man with some serious issues. He wasn't realistic about life. Or maybe he didn't really know what it was like to suffer. But Paul will make it perfectly clear that he was well-acquainted with sufferings of all kinds. He was the poster-boy of suffering. But rather than loathe the trials and tribulations of life, Paul saw them as unique opportunities to watch God work. Because he had learned from experience that God's power is made perfect in man's weakness. So, in essence, his weakness was actually the key to discovering and experiencing true strength.