The Power of Weakness

"`...Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." Zechariah 4:6b

I looked over the pasture with a hoe in one hand and a pail in the other. I had been given the task of eliminating thistles from this pasture. My dad hates thistles and there were way too many of them on the hobby farm we had recently moved to. The task seemed insurmountable. I was paid five cents per thistle. It was hot and I was thirteen years old. In the end it was more efficient and effective for my father to use other methods to eradicate the thistles in his pastures.

We have all had circumstances that set a seemingly impossible task in front of us. In my experience the most common ways of dealing with this kind of thing is to say that because it is impossible for me to do, it must not be meant for me to do it.  Zerubbabel was facing such a situation when he was tasked with rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. The prophet was given this word from, God to give Zerubbabel as both exhortation and encouragement that the completion of the temple wasn't dependent on Zerubbabel's natural abilities or resources.

It seems many churches will go one of two directions here. On the one hand a church - or believer - will look at what God is asking them to do and say, "its too big" or "we're  too small" or "its not in the budget". The emphasis is not on what God can and wants to do but on the ability of a church or person to accomplish it. At the heart of this is either a belief in a small, weak or unwise God, or, that we will only do what we can receive credit for. If all that is ever done is limited what humanity can naturally do, humanity will always get the credit. I read an author several years ago who said something like this, "Unless it is impossible for man to do, God will never get the credit." This leads to what's on the other hand.

Sometimes we can see God's provision in an endeavor and we can watch as the Holy Spirit moves in equipping and enabling  for His purpose. However, in the end, as others admire the results, it is way to easy for us to take at least some of the credit thus diminishing the glory God gets.


The apostle Paul was faced with this when he asked God to remove a "thorn in the flesh" three times. God answered him by saying,

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
(2  Corinthians 12 : 9a)

Paul, instead of whining like I usually do, responded with the following statement,


"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."
(2 Corinthians 12:9b,10)

How cool is it that it is when we are weak, when the task seems too big, that God's power, through the Holy Spirit, rests on us and we can do whatever it is that He calls us to. What a comfort to know that what God wants to accomplish doesn't depend our competency, ability or resources. He just asks for our willingness to take part in what He is doing and allow His Spirit to use us for His glory!!!