Power Paradox

When I let go 
take my hands off 
lose control 
then I am weak 
powerless to 
influence 
situations 
fix the problem 
do it my way.

Then paradox
takes over:
his hands firmly
in control
he is strong
powerful
able to
accomplish
the miracle required.

And there’s 
a corollary:
when I live
within his grace
I have his power
to use for him:
the paradox
of mutuality—
Christ in me.

Have you come up against a situation where you become aware that you, by yourself, cannot do what needs to be done? I’ve often been there, wondering how I can meet the challenge. My own resources, whatever they are, are either disregarded or insufficient. I feel that I’ve been preparing for this but now find that I cannot change a thing. I pray, and this is what my Master tells me: when you realize that you are too weak to push that heavy obstacle off the path, lean on me—let my powerful hand help you, let it do the work! It’s like the times I’ve begged my husband to come help me open a jar lid that is absolutely stuck and my hands are too weak to turn it; I take my hands off, he puts his strong fingers around it and there! It turns! Or I am struggling to take suitcases to the car, wondering who is around, and my son comes running up to take the heaviest ones out of my hands and carry them for me!

A key element here is belief that the person coming alongside you is strong enough to do what needs to be done. The more we grow in our faith in God, the more we learn that he is always able to do what is essential. True, he will do it his way, in his timing. But he does use his humble servant to get the job done when it needs to be done, when that servant leans on him for strength and direction. But if the servant insists on doing it on his own, refusing help or guidance, he can easily fail. He may push that obstacle with all that is in him, but nothing is accomplished.

Paul had to learn this the hard way when his arrogant self-reliant pride had to be crushed so that he could recognize his own insufficiency and rely on his Lord (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Whatever his weakness (a “thorn in the flesh”) was, when he recognized it and gladly accepted the Lord’s strength instead, he found joy in that tough situation:

But [the Lord] 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Cor. 12:9 NIV)

He would “boast” about how he could not do his service on his own! That is a huge step, a growth in humility and recognition of human inadequacy, as well as growth in knowing God and his desire to give his servant the strength that is needed.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor. 4:6,7 NIV)

As we become increasingly close to God we learn to recognize his goodness and power that are shown in how the Messiah lived and worked. Paul even explained that although his light shines into us, we are just like clay jars that only show some of that glory. God alone can display his immense glory. But the light that we do radiate to the world reveals that it is no mere human gift: it is extraordinary light since it comes from God himself!

When we feel weak, like a clay jar that has no light in itself, it causes us to turn to the source of light and strength—like turning on a strong electric light when a little candle burns out, leaving a room dark. We have to believe that God who rules the universe is the one who can do what we ourselves cannot do. And going through the process of learning to rely on him, recognizing our “weakness,” is an essential learning curve in our spiritual journey.

So when we are in a place where we sense strong opposition from the Enemy, we ourselves are weak in comparison. We probably even look weak to the world around us. Why? Because we are obeying God, faithful to him, and this makes no sense to them. For example, we are not to retaliate in a way others may consider normal, because our Master has told us to love those who oppose us! We are to speak the truth in love rather than in derogatory put-downs. We are not to bear grudges, but forgive. All of that can be interpreted as weakness.

Christ himself did not retaliate when he was cruelly sent to the cross, knowing that his death would accomplish salvation for whoever would believe. He had not hidden who he was, but the very people who should have believed that he was Messiah rejected the truth and killed him. That did not destroy God’s plan or his power: Jesus was raised to life and now lives in us when we put our trust in him! As we serve him he empowers us.

For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you. (2 Cor. 13:4 NIV)

Douglas Moo explains the “weakness” this way:

“The ‘weakness’ is not physical frailty or moral impotence but rather the ‘weakness’ of non-retaliation or non-aggressiveness before people and the ‘weakness’ of obeying God. People who are weak in human estimation because they seek to do God’s will are supremely strong. But that ‘weakness’ of Christ is past. Now he lives a resurrection life sustained ‘by God’s power,’ ‘the Spirit of holiness’ (Rom 1:4). As a result of his union with Christ (‘in him’) through faith, Paul shared the ‘weakness’ of Christ’s passion. But in his dealing with the Corinthians, he would be fully alive (‘we will live’), along with Christ (‘with him’), ‘by God’s power.’^[1]

In other words, Paul was stepping aside from wielding his own authority to let Christ’s authority be his constant direction and strength for the task. He made this clear when he wrote to the Galatians:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20 NIV)

So when we are “weak,” laying aside self-assertiveness to let Christ call the shots, we are now serving the Almighty, the God who is love, light and life.

LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. (Ps. 84:12 NIV)

How are we blessed? He is our Father, our Guide, and when we rely on him, his strength is active and he accomplishes his purposes even through us. We have joy in the reality of that relationship. I am repeating this to myself every day as I go through an extremely challenging time. He is my strength!

 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. (Ps. 28:7 NIV)

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^[1] Douglas J. Moo, “The Letters and Revelation,” in NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 2097–2098.