Sermon notes “Show No Weakness"

TEXT: Pslam 123: 2 Corinthians 12:5-10
          
​ SERMON:
“Show no weakness!” This is a phrase that we hear too often. We hear it when it comes to our performance in sports. We hear it when it comes to how we perform in our careers and our relationships. We hear it regarding our emotions, thoughts, and feelings. Throughout our lives, we are taught to show no weakness. We are taught to have no cracks in the armor. But the the question is; Is that healthy? Is that Biblical?
When life hits us with difficulties, we acknowledge our weaknesses. Life seems broken and our options seem limited and it seems that there is nothing left for us to do but to look up to the LORD for help and mercy. I’m sure that we can all identify times when everything seemed hopeless and when we cannot see past our difficulties. Our weaknesses are on full display. We are lost, with nothing left in our tanks to keep moving forward.   
As we look into our scriptures for today, we see Paul immediately breaking our cultural norms of not showing weakness, but stating, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul encourages us to wear our weakness as a badge of honor. Paul invites us to open our hearts to our weaknesses while we are leaning on God’s strength.
Now, that may sound simple in theory, but we all know how difficult this level of humility is in our lives. It is challenging to face our weaknesses and identify them; facing our difficulties. We can not do this alone. We are not meant to do this alone. Throughout scripture, we see a need for community. We see a need for relationships; we see our need for God’s strength in our lives.
As we see in Psalm 123, the author stresses the importance of lifting our eyes to the LORD when facing difficulties. Lifting our eyes to God includes lifting our hearts and our minds to God as well. We wait for God to act, knowing that God will. We confidently wait for healing and life transformation.
In our weakness, we can let go of perfection. We can let go of the expectation of perfection. When we boast about our shortcomings and weaknesses,  our minds and spirit allow God to work out the details we cannot. When we identify our weaknesses, we allow family and friends to come alongside us and help us carry our burdens when we can’t do it alone. It is in our weakness that God can demonstrate strength; the same strength that is meant when Jesus tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
This is our calling today: Be open and be honest about yourself. Be open and honest about your shortcomings and weaknesses and allow the people around you to be the community needed to empower, encourage, and strengthen you. We live in a community and we partner with those who are hurting. We partner with those that are forgotten and we support them as they heal. We allow God to heal our hearts and build up our weakness through God’s strength.


CONCLUSION: Let us be open and honest. Let us be encouraging and loving. Let us be a community.