“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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
The Apostle Paul did not seek out suffering and pain. It occurred in the normal course of life as it does in ours. It occurred usually as a result of his zealous preaching of the Gospel but also because of the power and consequences of sin in the world. He prayed for healing but since it did not occur, he accepted his afflictions as God’s will, as difficult and unpleasant as they may have been. The power of Christ was present in his suffering and weakness. He knew that the Lord would provide all the resources he needed to endure. This brought him satisfaction, joy and gave glory to God.
Paul’s reaction is an example to how we ought to face our own suffering and weakness, whether these are experienced in the preaching of the gospel or as a result of sin or of our own human frailty. We should not deny our feelings, our weaknesses, or our fears but confess them to the Lord. We should always ask for healing and relief, but if that is not granted we must also ask for strength and grace so we can endure. We know that the Lord will always answer this prayer. This is one prayer we can be sure He will always answer as we desire. He will always give us what we need though not always in the way we thought. One other prayer that never fails is also filled with an acute awareness of our weakness and our helplessness, offered with faith and hope in the all-sufficient power of the Lord: “Thy will be done!”