- Power and Responsibility — Using Influence Well
- Power Perfected in Weakness (2 Cor 12:9)
Strength is admired.
We celebrate competence, confidence, and self-sufficiency. We encourage people to overcome weakness, to project certainty, and to demonstrate capability. In many areas of life, weakness is viewed as something to hide or overcome as quickly as possible.
Yet Paul writes about weakness very differently.
He recounts pleading with the Lord to remove what he calls his “thorn in the flesh”. Whatever this thorn was, it caused genuine suffering. Three times Paul asked for it to be taken away.
God’s answer was unexpected:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Rather than removing Paul’s weakness, God promised sufficient grace within it.
This turns our understanding of power upside down.
A Different Definition of Strength
The world often defines strength as independence.
The stronger the person, the less they appear to need anyone else.
Scripture presents another picture.
True strength is not found in pretending we are self-sufficient. It is found in dependence upon God.
This dependence is not passive resignation.
It is confident trust.
Paul discovers that weakness does not prevent God’s work.
In many cases, it becomes the place where God’s power is seen most clearly.
The Illusion of Self-Sufficiency
One of the greatest dangers of influence is believing we no longer need help.
Success can quietly convince us that we have become self-made.
Competence becomes confidence.
Confidence becomes independence.
Independence becomes pride.
Paul’s thorn prevented this.
It continually reminded him that his ministry depended upon God’s grace rather than his own ability.
Weakness became protection against arrogance.
Why God Does Not Always Remove Difficulty
This passage raises an uncomfortable question.
Why does God sometimes leave difficulties unresolved?
Scripture does not provide a simple formula.
But Paul’s experience shows that God’s purposes often extend beyond immediate comfort.
Sometimes weakness teaches:
- humility,
- dependence,
- patience,
- and compassion.
These qualities are difficult to develop without recognising our own limitations.
Grace is often learned most deeply where strength proves insufficient.
Weakness Produces Compassion
People who have experienced weakness often become more compassionate.
They understand:
- disappointment,
- limitation,
- failure,
- and vulnerability.
This changes how they relate to others.
They become slower to judge.
Quicker to encourage.
More willing to help.
Power exercised by someone who remembers weakness is often gentler than power exercised by someone who has forgotten it.
Leadership Without Pretence
Leaders sometimes feel pressure to appear strong at all times.
To have every answer.
To never admit uncertainty.
To project confidence constantly.
But this kind of leadership becomes exhausting.
It also creates distance.
People struggle to trust leaders who appear incapable of weakness.
Paul models something different.
He speaks openly about his limitations.
Not to draw attention to himself.
But to draw attention to Christ.
Grace Is Sufficient
Notice what God promises.
He does not promise unlimited strength.
He promises sufficient grace.
Enough grace for today.
Enough grace for this challenge.
Enough grace for faithful obedience.
This promise does not eliminate struggle.
It transforms it.
The focus shifts from personal ability to divine faithfulness.
Weakness in Technical Leadership
This principle applies beyond church life.
In technical leadership, admitting uncertainty is often viewed as risky.
Yet wise leaders know when to say:
“I don’t know.”
“We need to investigate.”
“Let’s hear another perspective.”
These admissions do not weaken leadership.
They strengthen trust.
Teams respect leaders who pursue truth more than appearances.
Power Without Pride
Throughout this month’s theme, we are exploring power and responsibility.
Paul reminds us that responsible influence begins with humility.
Power detached from humility becomes domination.
Power shaped by grace becomes service.
Weakness reminds us that influence is entrusted rather than earned.
Living Dependently
Dependence upon God is not a sign of immaturity.
It is the mark of Christian maturity.
The longer Paul serves Christ, the more deeply he understands his need for grace.
Spiritual growth does not eliminate dependence.
It deepens it.
Carrying This Forward
Power is not measured only by what we can accomplish.
It is also revealed by how we respond when our own strength reaches its limit.
Paul’s testimony reminds us that weakness need not be feared.
It may become the very place where God’s faithfulness is most clearly seen.
The Invitation
Where are we trying to appear stronger than we really are?
What weaknesses have we hidden because we fear they diminish us?
Could it be that the places we most want God to remove are the very places where he wants to reveal his grace?
These questions invite honesty.
Because Christian maturity is not found in becoming independent of God.
It is found in discovering, again and again, that his grace truly is sufficient.
And when we learn that,
we discover a power far greater than our own.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®). Copyright © Crossway.
