Are you facing a mountain that looks too high for you to climb? A valley that seems so dark you’ll never get out? Is there someone in your life that seems too hard for you to love? A temptation that feels too great for you to defeat? In other words, do you feel weak? If so that’s good. The Bible says it’s good to feel weak.

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. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 CO 12.9-10

Are you facing a mountain that looks too high for you to climb? A valley that seems so dark you’ll never get out? Is there someone in your life that seems too hard for you to love? A temptation that feels too great for you to defeat? In other words, do you feel weak? If so that’s good. The Bible says it’s good to feel weak.

I don’t know about you but I hate being weak. I’m weak in so many ways. I feel like the weakest person I know. So many times I feel like I just can’t do this thing. I feel weak as a pastor, weak as a dad, weak as a husband.

Our culture disdains weakness. TV gurus tell us to have self-confidence, to tell ourselves we are good enough, strong enough and doggone it, people like us. God tells us we can do nothing apart from him. That we are like the grass of the field that is here today and gone tomorrow. That we face an enemy who is the god of this world, who fires fiery darts at us, who prowls around like a lion, waiting to devour us.

The sooner we realize our weakness the better. Many times God must show us how weak we are, like he did for Paul. Paul’s thorn was a weakness revealer. But the more Paul realized how weak he was the better off he was. For then he quit relying on himself. Paul quit saying to himself, “I can do this,” but began saying to Christ, “I need you Jesus! Help!”

Jesus is just waiting to pour out his grace. He’s on his throne of grace with bags and bags of grace for us.

He has grace to love that difficult person. Grace to forgive that one who hurt you. Grace to rejoice in affliction. Grace to serve those kids. Grace to be generous when you have little to give. Grace to get through your day at work. Grace to respond in love when insulted. Grace to love your wife.

Jesus has unlimited strength and power to pour out to us in our weakness. He loves to display his power in our lives. But as long as we keep trying to do things in our own strength, we block Christ’s power from working. When we admit our weakness and cry out to him, he pulls back the curtain to display his awesome might.

Remember, weakness isn’t a bad thing. Weakness is an opportunity to see Christ’s power. Knowing this helps us to be “content” with weaknesses. Are you weak today? Do you feel overwhelmed? Tired before the day even begins? Call on Jesus. He’s standing by. Just waiting to display his power so he gets the glory.

Mark Altrogge has been the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, PA for over 25 years, and is the author of many well known worship songs such as “I Stand In Awe”, and “In The Presence”. This article first appeared on his blog and is used with permission.