Thankful for My Weaknesses - Amy Lively
This Thanksgiving, countless blessings will be shared over tables laden with turkeys. Sincere thanks for our families, our jobs, or our homes will be repeated by many grateful lips.
You won’t find many people thankful for their weaknesses.
“I’m thankful for a tough relationship.”
“I’m thankful for my child’s rebellion.”
“I’m thankful for a big pile of bills I don’t know how to pay.”
Nope, those don’t make my list, either. It’s hard for me to imitate 2 Corinthians 12:10 – “I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
That’s not a natural response to weakness, insults, hardship and persecution; in fact, it’s downright supernatural. That kind of response comes only through Christ. Here’s the rest of the story:
I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
This Thanksgiving, the thorn in your flesh may pop up like the thermometer in the turkey’s side. Your thorn may be sitting across the table, or it may be conspicuously absent from your celebration. Your thorn may threaten your very life… at the very least, it threatens your joy and your hope.
Those thorny places are where God does His best work.
As I say grace this Thanksgiving, I will also ask for grace. I want to overflow with grace to the thorny people, problems and predicaments I may face. I’ll be honest about my own need for grace, and I’ll try to be compassionate when others need it, too.
According to Jesus, His grace is all I need… well, that, and another serving of Cranberry Salad.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your neighbors.
