My Grace is Sufficient [Devotional]

2 Corinthians 12:6-10, “though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave 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 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.”

There is so much in this rich passage that we could spend a whole book unpacking it and the surrounding verses. But today I’d like to focus in on the obvious part. The part of the passage we are the most familiar with, where Jesus says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you,”.

This passage is one that we often find on pieces of Hobby Lobby art or coffee mugs because the words are incredibly comforting. And we should be comforted by these words. But perhaps we won’t know exactly how much we really should be comforted until we understand what they actually mean.

As usual, context is key. In chapter 11 of his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul is speaking about how the Corinthians have been taken in by false apostles since they have been overawed by the “credentials” of these individuals. Paul sarcastically says that if they can boast he can boast and proceeds to list much of what he has done for Christ (vs 21-29) how he has suffered and proven himself. But in verse 30 his tone changes and he says if he were to really boast he would boast in his weaknesses rather than his strengths.

If we think about it this is a rather counter-intuitive statement. He will proclaim publically, unlike the false teachers, his weaknesses rather than his strengths. I verses 31-33 he reminds them of how he fled Damascus. Why? If we forget the Sunday school answer for a moment and really think about it this doesn’t make sense. Especially having seen a taste, just before, of what Paul could, without exaggeration, boast about. So why will Paul boast about his weaknesses?

At the beginning of chapter 12, he gives another reason that he could boast. In answer to the Corinthians awe of the supposed visions of the false apostles Paul describes how 14 years previously he had been caught up into heaven and received visions there (it’s an interesting note that, rather than say directly that it was him he says “I know a man…” later on verse 7 makes it clear that he is that man but even in his mock boasting Paul is humble). He reemphasizes the truth of his statements (vs 6) before finally explaining why he will boast in weakness.

Paul tells his readers that, “…to keep me from becoming conceited…” God allowed Satan to torment him. Much like the account of Job, the immediate cause of the thorn was Satan but the purpose for which God allowed the thorn was to keep Paul humble. While the thorn is never directly described (MacArthur suggests it might have been a demonic backing or leading of the false apostles plaguing the church in Corinth) we do know that it tormented Paul and drove him to his knees. Verse 8 relates that Paul, “…pleaded with the Lord about this…” begging that this torment be removed. But God’s answer brings us to the verse we’ve been contemplating.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (vs 9)

Jesus’ response to Paul is not to address the but to address what God is doing in and through Paul. He does not say He’ll take it away He does not say that it is Paul’s to deal with forever rather He says that as long as Paul must endure this trial it will be the grace of God that sustains Paul and the power of God that will use it for Paul’s good and God’s glory.

And note also the present tense, “My grace is sufficient,” not will be sufficient not has been sufficient it IS sufficient! And from that Paul goes on to say, “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.” In the weakness of this severe hardship, Paul recognized the working of God. Not that he was now comfortable with the trial but rather he was convinced that God was at work in the weakness. In this particular instance, it was to keep Paul humble. To make him more like Christ.

Christ is not promising to take away our trials. But He is, through grace, giving us the ability to take our focus off of our weakness, heartache, pain, and sorrow and turn our eyes towards eternity seeing how His power, shining through our weakness, is turning the things that torment us into the very things that draw us to Him and make us more and more like Him.

In this time of waiting, I am often confronted with the plethora of my inadequacies. Yet God is teaching me, not to accept my failings but, to surrender them. I have almost nothing that will help this movie succeed as I think it should. But I firmly believe that, if the Lord wills, His power will shine all the more brightly when He brings this project to pass because His power is shown to be perfect and sufficient when He uses imperfect tools such as myself.