What Taking Your Weakness to God Really Means

Posted on May 02, 2024 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Eric Schumacher

“Take your weakness to Jesus.” That’s easy to say. But what exactly does it mean? Taking our weakness to Jesus involves at least three things.

1. We must know that we are weak. Weakness, simply put is a lack of strength, the inability to act or produce an effect. To be weak is to be unable to do certain things or make things happen. We are all weak in one way or another. Unless we’re willing to admit that, we can’t begin to deal with our weakness. The one who cannot confess their weakness cannot take that weakness to Jesus.

2. We must know what type of weakness we’re dealing with. Not all weakness is created equal. Some weakness is good. Some weakness is bad. Knowing the nature of our weakness is imperative to responding to it properly. We all live with three types of weakness.

Natural Weakness — Natural weakness entails our inherent inabilities as created beings dependent on God. This is good weakness, existing by design before sin and death ever entered the world. We can do nothing without our Creator (John 15:5; Acts 17:28).

Consequential Weakness — Consequential weakness is weakness introduced by sin and its consequences—moral depravity and suffering in a fallen world, culminating in death.

Relative Weakness — Relative weakness refers to our inabilities in comparison to others.

3. We must know how Jesus speaks to each of our weaknesses. The gospel message is as simple as “Christ died for our sins” and “he was raised on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Those who trust in him are forgiven of their sins, spiritually reborn, and will one day be raised in glory to live with Christ forever. The single jewel of the gospel is multifaceted, allowing us to apply it to each and every form of weakness we experience.

The Gospel and Natural Weakness — Jesus experienced human weakness and we can trust Him for strength. He became “like his brothers and sisters in every way” (Hebrews 2:17 CSB). Therefore, he can “sympathize with our weaknesses” (4:15). In faith, we can “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” (4:16).

The Gospel and Consequential Weakness — Because Jesus died for our sin, we may take our moral weakness to him in repentance and faith. Through faith, we are set free from the power of sin and made alive to live for Jesus (Romans 6:6–11). So, we turn to him for forgiveness and renewal.

Jesus knows what it’s like to suffer life in a broken world. Therefore, he knows how to help us. “For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18). So, we bring our suffering to him for merciful healing or grace to endure.

The Gospel and Relative Weakness — Jesus embraced weakness to show God’s power. A crucified king looked “weak” in comparison to the rulers of this world. Nevertheless, the weakness of a crucified Messiah is “the power of God” because “God’s weakness is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

In Jesus, we are free to embrace our weakness as the means through which God displays his glory. “God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). When we live in relative human strength, people credit that strength for the results. But when we live and minister out of human weakness, the glorious results must go to God.

The world laughs at our relative weakness as something shameful. But instead of running from or hiding our weakness, we do better to follow the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, who said, “If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses” (2 Corinthians 11:30). We turn to the Lord and say, “Lord, I’m weak! I can’t do this! But you can! I trust you now to empower and strengthen me to face this task so that you get all the credit.” And, like Paul, we hear the Lord’s response—“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).