I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so
that Christ’s power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Don’t talk. This is one of the lessons pounded into
dysfunctional families. Don’t talk about the bruises; don’t talk about the
infidelities; don’t talk about the family shame… the proverbial elephant in the
room. Our heroes from film and literature tell us much the same thing. Don’t
talk about weakness unless it’s someone else’s. Be strong and, if that’s not
possible, keep quiet and pretend to be strong so as to avoid someone exploiting
the chinks in your armor.
Unfortunately this same tendency has leached into the
church. There is a tacit understanding that we must never air our dirty
laundry, and always put on our Sunday face for church. Don’t let anyone in.
Don’t admit you need help.
By contrast, James writes about confessing our faults to one
another that we may be healed (James 5:16), and in Life Together,
Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes regarding a Christian who is struggling: “The Christ
in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the heart of his brother” [2]. Satan loves secrets.
In today’s reading, Paul reminds us that only in our
weakness can we be strong. If boasting about my weaknesses allows Christ’s
strength to rest on me, what about my secrets? Does not staying silent then
hinder Christ’s strength from working in my life?
TODAY’S MEDITATION
What would it mean to boast
of your weaknesses that your life might be filled with the power of Christ?
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