What is God’s agenda for us? What kind of people is God looking for when it comes to accomplishing His plan?

 

2 Corinthians 12:9

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. (NIV)

 

 

• God’s grace is sufficient for any of our needs
• His power is made perfect in weakness
• God always chose the youngest and the weakest to deliver Israel
• Paul boasts of his weaknesses: (V. 10)
  • Insults
  • Hardships
  • Persecutions
  • Difficulties

 

APPLICATION:

• God’s grace covers a multitude of sin
• Our weaknesses = physical or mental
• He is glorified more by using our weaknesses for His Kingdom
• God can use our afflictions
• God’s grace is sufficient to cover all of them.

 

Many years ago a rich man had a servant whose job was to carry water each day from a distant stream to his master’s house. The servant carried the water in two large pots, each of which hung from opposite ends of a pole he carried across his neck. One pot was in perfect condition and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream. The other pot had a crack in it, though, and always arrived at the master’s house half full. For two years the servant delivered only one and a half pots of water to his master’s house each day. The undamaged pot was proud of itself. It had been made to carry water without leaking, and it did the job perfectly. The cracked pot, on the other hand, felt ashamed. It was miserable knowing it was not able to accomplish what it had been made to do. Still, it did the best it could, even if it was only half of what the perfect pot could do. Finally the cracked pot spoke to the servant one day by the stream. “I need to apologize to you,” the pot said, “For two years now, I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value for your efforts.” The servant simply said, “When we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” As they made their way back to the house, the cracked pot saw the gorgeous wildflowers beside the path and was cheered a little by their beauty. When they reached the house, the servant said to the cracked pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path? I’ve always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day when we walked back from the stream, you watered them. For two years I’ve been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. If you weren’t just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.” (Youth Specialties: Hot Illustrations)

 

Each of us has our own unique flaws. You might say we are all a bunch of “crackpots”. But if we allow Him to, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His table.

 

Paul wrote, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Cor. 11:30). Paul had quite a few flaws, which he freely acknowledged, but God still used him in a mighty way. God has a habit of using people with flaws. While reading through the Old Testament there is one example after another of how God used men and women who were broken, and many times a mess. Just look at the genealogy of Jesus found in the gospels. There we find prostitutes, deceivers, and foreigners. God is in the business of using ordinary people with all of their flaws and weaknesses to do amazing things.

 

Tony Merida, in his book called Ordinary, shares this, “The book of Acts shows that the result of the early church’s efforts wasn’t’ due to their own gifting and wealth (though some were gifted and wealthy). When Peter and John were brought before the council they were called ‘unschooled, ordinary men’ (Acts. 4:13). Not even the leaders were extraordinary! But these ordinary people turned the world upside down.” God used ordinary Christians like you and me to change history! And God hasn’t changed His agenda one bit.

 

We see in verse 8 that Paul was given “a thorn in my flesh”. We don’t know what that thorn was but one author said: “It is understandable that Paul would consider this thorn a hindrance to wider or more effective ministry (cf. Gal. 4:14–16) and that he would repeatedly petition God for its removal (2 Cor. 12:8). But he learned from this experience the lesson that pervades this letter: divine power is best displayed against the backdrop of human weaknesses (cf. 4:7) so that God alone is praised.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

 

Rather than removing this “thorn” God gave Paul the grace that He would need. This same grace is still “sufficient” for us today. God wants to use our weaknesses, our infirmities, our difficulties in life for greater things. God wants to use cracked pots, like us, to do amazing things!

 

 

 

PRAYER:

Ask God how He wants to use your weaknesses this week. How can you use your “ordinary” to do amazing things for Him?

 

If you would like help in growing in your faith, or if you would like to know how to have faith in Him, then please contact us at (928)636-2949 or email me at pastorguy@cvgrace.com