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where else in the bible is strength found through apparent vulnerability or weakness?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul is writing to the Corinthian church, addressing challenges to his authority and recounting personal struggles. Here, he describes a "thorn in the flesh"—a persistent, unspecified affliction—and God's response to his prayers for its removal.

What might it look like to lean into your own limitations or struggles, trusting that something greater can work through them?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Philippians 4:13

    Paul speaks of being able to do all things through Christ who strengthens him, a strength often understood in the context of his physical deprivations and persecutions.

  • Hebrews 11:34

    This verse from the "faith hall of fame" lists those who "out of weakness were made strong," highlighting how faith enabled people to overcome impossible odds.

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