2 Corinthians 12: 7-10
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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As I've posted plenty enough times before, fear has been a struggle in me lately, which later causes weakness. I'm coming to realize that during the whole process of heartache, I pleaded to God over and over again to calm my fear and take the pain away, but still I was being hurt. There were times I was upset and depressed, and there were times I was downright angry and irrationally tense. I can say that I've gone through a great deal of healing as of late, but when I look at it now, I can see how hard I was hit and how much it affected my attitude and strength. I became utterly weak. It was pitiful.
I've recently been questioning who I am and what my worth is. I don't mean to sound depressing and demeaning, but it really was a question that struck my mind to find out. I'll be honest, it leaves an odd physical preasure on my chest to know. I wasn't sure where to look though.. in the Bible, that is. I was kind of confused. Despite being somewhat lost, something kept tugging me to read Romans. I'm not even sure how many times I was reminded of the book, but it kept coming to my attention, so I decided to start reading.
After a couple days of studying(a little bit at a time), I came across a list of verses I got in Sunday school several weeks ago. Each verse had an example of who were are in Christ. Seeing as how 1 of the 3 pages was only verses from Romans, I found it very beneficial to the current situation. After reading through the list of verses, there was one that stuck out to me, which oddly enough was not from Romans, but the verse I typed above.
I think I've kinda picked up the concept that hardships make you stronger, but I never really gave it much thought considering I haven't always had to deal with my strongest weaknesses all that much. I can definitely say that I've become very weak, and that I've faced a lot of struggles and trials, but it's taken me a while to realize that I will get stronger, and I will gain wisdom from it all. I had the general mindset that I was broken to pieces that will take a long time to mend back together. Now, even though it's still going to take a while to completely heal, I've come to realize that not only am I healing now, but I am also being rebuilt stronger and more stable. I've been blessed with how much more I can understand now. Even despite all the traumatizing, I can confidently say that I am made stronger. Also as a result, I have gained a more humble spirit. I didn't realize how prideful I was until I came to understand that what I valued most was not Christ at all. I became full of what I had, and who I was, that I lost part of my humbleness to my devouring pride that eventually just forced it all to be stripped away.
After a couple days of studying(a little bit at a time), I came across a list of verses I got in Sunday school several weeks ago. Each verse had an example of who were are in Christ. Seeing as how 1 of the 3 pages was only verses from Romans, I found it very beneficial to the current situation. After reading through the list of verses, there was one that stuck out to me, which oddly enough was not from Romans, but the verse I typed above.
I think I've kinda picked up the concept that hardships make you stronger, but I never really gave it much thought considering I haven't always had to deal with my strongest weaknesses all that much. I can definitely say that I've become very weak, and that I've faced a lot of struggles and trials, but it's taken me a while to realize that I will get stronger, and I will gain wisdom from it all. I had the general mindset that I was broken to pieces that will take a long time to mend back together. Now, even though it's still going to take a while to completely heal, I've come to realize that not only am I healing now, but I am also being rebuilt stronger and more stable. I've been blessed with how much more I can understand now. Even despite all the traumatizing, I can confidently say that I am made stronger. Also as a result, I have gained a more humble spirit. I didn't realize how prideful I was until I came to understand that what I valued most was not Christ at all. I became full of what I had, and who I was, that I lost part of my humbleness to my devouring pride that eventually just forced it all to be stripped away.
I thank God now for it all; My pride, my valuables being taken away, the pain I went through, and heartache and weakness that brought me to my lowest point, and I thank God that I can learn something from it, and that I can gain humbleness rather than depression and anger now.
It was hard for a long time.. too long, in fact, but I understand now. I am blessed.
It was hard for a long time.. too long, in fact, but I understand now. I am blessed.
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1 Corinthians 13: 9-12
For we know in part and we prophecy in part,
but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became man, I put childish ways beind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection in the mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became man, I put childish ways beind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection in the mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
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