Friday, July 3, 2009

It's Not About You


Just a brief paragraph about this week's passage. Anyone who has had any kind of chronic pain – either physical, psychological or spiritual (etc) – has found solace or frustration in this passage where Paul talks about his thorn in the flesh. There are lots of theories as to what that thorn was, but no one really knows.

God's words to Paul were clear though: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” These are words that not only speak to the way we endure as individuals, but also point to a larger picture of which we are a part. God's power is revealed in our circumstances when, in our weakness, we submit to God's purposes and plans. There's a bigger picture, a larger plan involved - God's Story of redemption for the world. If we don't know that's what the story is about, or that we're part of that story, then we live in a state of constant frustration and confusion - which is the norm for so many people.
- Curtis