Weakness: Friend or Foe?
By Mistie Hutchinson
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair as Lindy's question penetrated my thoughts. "Mistie, what do you think about this passage?" my friend and mentor asked. I squirmed in my chair for about the thousandth time and stared at the floor, debating how vulnerable I wanted to be in my reply. Glancing at Lindy and then away again, I decided to be brutally honest, "I hate weakness."
What a difference years make in the hands of a loving, strong Father.
That conversation marked a turning point in my spiritual journey. It
hasn't been easy, but God has taken the woman who once hated weakness
and transformed her into someone who is increasingly learning to
delight in weakness. I can even say the word "weakness" without wincing
now!How did this transformation occur? First, it's still occurring. I certainly don't have the market cornered on delighting in weakness. And, I'm seeing that one of God's goals in allowing weakness is to point me to His strength, not focus me on how weak I feel. God always wants us to know His character and praise Him for who He is.
What I've seen is that the path to knowing God's strength runs directly through experiencing weakness. One way I'm reminded of God's strength is through my physical handicap. My health, with its various implications, serves as a daily reminder of weakness. Sometimes my health gives more intense, prolonged reminders, like the year I underwent hip replacement surgery.
I continue to learn that what is most critical is how I choose to respond. We do have a choice! Remember that it's God's desire that weaknesses lead us to experience His strength and, ultimately, to give Him glory. The extent to which we experience God's strength is determined by how we choose to respond.
I see two typical responses to weaknesses, in my life and in the lives of those around me:
1) We view weakness as our foe, as something to be conquered and overcome, or as something that will conquer and overcome us. Sometimes viewing weakness as our foe can appear godly. For instance, we may withdraw and not try again under the guise of "that's not my strength or gift." Or we may choose to fight back, "I will overcome this!" This is one of my favorite responses.
2) We view weakness as our friend, as something to embrace, even to delight in. We have a better, more accurate view of who we are in light of who God is. We're able to ask God to deliver us from our weaknesses with a heart that's willing to accept whatever His answer may be, not with a fearful or demanding heart. We grow in believing that God's grace really is sufficient for every need.
Do you see how these responses shine the spotlight on God? They say, "Look at who God is," and "Look what God has done." Whenever we respond to weakness as our friend, God receives the glory and we experience His strength.
My journey of learning to delight in weakness isn't complete. Sometimes I stumble and try to fight weakness, forgetting it's not my enemy. But the more I embrace weakness as my friend, I'm able to join Paul in saying, "I delight in weaknesses . . . for when I am weak, then I am strong."
Used by permission from the Sister to Sister Newsletter
Mistie Hutchison serves on the EDGE Corps Directors Team, working with on-campus training and women's shepherding. EDGE Corps is a one- to two-year ministry training experience for recent college graduates. Mistie enjoys spending time with friends and family, movies, ice cream, and keeping up with her 8 lb. very active dog.