2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)
... Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I love jewelry, so of course it gives me great pleasure that my middle name, Amber, is also a jewel stone.
Are you familiar with the amber stone? It’s made out of tree resin which you wouldn’t think would develop into anything beautiful or valuable. However, over a VERY long period of time of being exposed to high temperatures and extreme amounts of pressure, the resin is transformed into a beautiful gemstone. Every piece of amber is totally unique from all the other pieces because of the imperfections: the lines, cracks, bubbles, and fossilized bugs. Furthermore, if you want to find a fake piece of amber, just look for one that is too perfect.
We can all certainly relate with that because we each have our own sets of lines, cracks, bubbles and bugs… Imperfections we wish we could erase. Many of us (especially women) often beat ourselves up when we make a wrong choice, or when we feel weak.
Someone once said to me, “Chelsea, you shouldn’t despise those moments when you feel weak. That is your opportunity to depend completely on God.” That conversation was the spark that became the song “Beautiful Mess of a Girl”.
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul shares with us how he had an area in his life where he felt weak. He pleaded with God three times to take this weakness away, but still it remained. Instead, God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
I’m so thankful that God can take our weaknesses and turn them into something beautiful for His Glory. It’s not the end of the world when we make a mistake. God knew none of us would be perfect and He’s already paid our penalty by sending His Son Jesus. When we confess our sins, Jesus’ payment cancels our debt!
God, thank you that we can walk in freedom and celebration because through Jesus You can use even our weaknesses for Your Glory!
COMMENT BELOW: What encouraging words would you give to someone who is facing a situation that is making them feel weak?