7-10Because 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.
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. (The Message)
Wouldn't you like to know what Paul thought his handicap was? I know I sure would but what difference would it make if we knew? I've often wondered if Paul's handicap was something that we would consider a handicap today? Did he have a limp or a speech impediment? Did he have a physical ailment that kept him from being as active as he would have liked? It could have been any of these things or it could have been non of them. The truth is that whatever Paul's handicap was in his own eyes God used him to an extent far beyond anything that Paul could have anticipated. Paul would have liked to have it gone and prayed for it to be taken away but God intervened and finally Paul was able to let it go and accept his situation. At some point Paul was able to quit using his circumstances as an excuse and instead allow God to shine through his circumstances for God's glory. It is a lessen that each of us could benefit by learning.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- What different things have you heard might have been Paul's handicap?
- What do you think finally allowed Paul to quit asking God do take away his handicap?
- Are there things in your life that you have been asking God to take away so that you might be more active in living out your faith life?
- How might your life be different if you accepted your shortcomings rather than praying for them to be taken away?
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