STEPPING STONES TO MORE GRACE
 
Weaknesses! We all have them, and we all hate 'em! We usually feel contempt toward the ones we see in ourselves and would prefer not to have to deal with the ones we see in others. Many of us limp along, hoping for some miracle that would change us, instead of trying to understand our weaknesses and the role they play in our lives.
 
Let me make clear what I mean by a weakness. I am not talking about sin. Sin should never be dealt with as a weakness, and weaknesses should never be dealt with as sin. Weaknesses often form in our personalities during the early developmental years. Recognizing that we all have weaknesses is half the battle; what we do with them is the other half. 
 
In our marriages, we need to learn to understand each other's weaknesses and how they came to be. Rather than resenting them or divorcing each other because of them, we need to respond the way the Bible tells us to respond, with understanding. Having weaknesses at work within us can cause us to leave our marriages, our churches, and our friendships. 
 
Discerning the weaknesses in others can have the same effect. What do these weaknesses look like?
 
THE THORN IN THE FLESH
 
The apostle Paul had been struggling with a spiritual attack which he described as a thorn in the flesh. In the narrative, Paul wisely omitted what form this spiritual attack had taken. That way, each of us could apply the principle involved, even though the messenger of Satan might manifest itself differently in each of our lives and circumstances.
 
Paul prayed that God would remove the thorn. When it did not go away, he prayed again. Nothing changed, which perplexed this man of prayer, who had experienced remarkable open communion with the Living Christ. He seemed surprised that he had to ask more than once. When he took the issue up with the Lord the third time, Jesus spoke to him, saying, “My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness.”
 
It is not a reasonable goal to remove weaknesses from our lives. A higher goal should be to learn what our weaknesses are, and then lean how to turn them into strengths, which allows us to live victoriously in spite of them.