6 If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.
7-10 Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once
I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the
handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s
strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and
with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse,
accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so
the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
Initially I had in mind to be upset, saddened or maybe even angered over something that happened today. However, I thought of this passage of scripture and all the upset melted away. One of the things I learned is that you simply cannot say you trust God and then think opportunities won't be presented for that trust to be proven. Trust isn't trust until it is exercised! Otherwise it is just a nice notion or a warm thought.
I like to be kind. I go out of my way to be kind on purpose and to show people kindness that probably makes no sense. I think of all of the kindness God has allowed to me in my life and all of the people that I admire most are kindhearted and they are givers. Sometimes; however, we must accept that not everyone that we extend kindness to is in the place to receive it or appreciate it. It doesn't mean we stop being kind. I'm not kind because people appreciate it in me. Nor was my kindness born out of folks being ready for it. I trust that if I am kind that God will extend mercy toward me because I am doing what He called me to do. I believe that as I show kindness God will extend favor toward me when I need it the most, but can't articulate it or when I myself don't seem to appreciate it. One of my weaknesses is my kindness.
I will give anyone anything that I have. My thought is that it's just a thing and if God gave me that thing He can and will give me another and if He doesn't I know that He can and perhaps it wasn't something that would enhance my life or it was for the person I gave it to and that's the end of that.
I believe that God operates in my weakness, submission and humility and to me sometimes showing kindness is purposefully suppressing my own will so that God's will can be seen, known and celebrated. The enemy wants to upset you to the point that you focus on the upset, the harm, the pain, the flesh or anything other than God. He wants us to react and mess up. But I get what Paul is saying here. I could have gotten upset when people took my kindness for weakness. I could have responded poorly when my kindness wasn't returned. Instead I choose to trust God, accept that my kindness is one of my weaknesses and let go and let God operate in it all.
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