Church family,
If you are honest, there are or have been a variety of things that you are not good at, or struggle with. In our culture we are offered many solutions to cover up or deal with our flaws or weaknesses. Some of these solutions actually help improve a situation and often avoid unnecessary embarrassment. Example: I have poor eyesight. In my weakness, I am thankful for the diagnosis of an optician and the invention of eyeglasses. These days wearing eyeglasses has become fashionable! There are actually folks who wear glasses who do not even need them! Why? They want to be fashionable!
When I was in 4th grade, I got my first pair of glasses. Trust me, it was not fashionable and trendy to be a 4th grader and have to wear glasses. Wearing glasses in 4th grade drew attention to the fact that I had a problem seeing. It drew the ridicule of other children with comments like “Hey, four eyes.” or “Got your goggles on?” 
Today I am thankful for glasses. Every morning when I wake up, I am reminded of my weakness. But without even second-guessing, I go to my dresser and reach for my glasses. Something outside of me has been provided for my weak sight. For that, I am very thankful.
When it comes to our weaknesses, we often try to deny them, or we let them define and paralyze us. In order to save face, we think we must act as though we have no weakness. The funny thing is, everyone else around you can see it but you! Other times, we wear our weakness like a badge and let it define who we are – letting it be the excuse for all that we aren’t.
Let me suggest that the problem is our attitude toward weakness. Scripture actually tells us that admitting weakness is good. In order to be a child of God, we have to first admit our weakness and failure – our sin. That’s a tough thing to admit, but necessary if we are going to receive Salvation.
Consider the following verses from Paul to the believers in Corinth,
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (ESV) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
God chose us in our weakness to bring glory to Himself! Do we deny or let our weakness define us? NO! But remember, be honest about your weaknesses and give them to Him. Why? Then what is done in and through you will be clearly not of you, but of the Lord! His work of “righteousness and sanctification and redemption” will clearly seen by others!
Yep, years ago I could have denied my eye doctor’s diagnosis. In pride, I could have acted as though “I was good” and everyone around me would have known very easily that I could not see well. I also could have responded by letting my poor eyesight define me the rest of my life (“woe is me”) and been paralyzed by my weakness. But as you know, I did not. I agreed with the doctor’s diagnosis and accepted His solution.
I am thankful He chose to use weak things. I am thankful that in my weaknesses, He is strong. I am thankful that ‘because of Him, I am in Christ.’ Take some time to be honest with yourself. Have you given your weaknesses to Him? Or do you still deny or wear them?
Walking in Him and with you,
Pastor Brian