Part2:  When We Are Weak

You may ask why we are talking about the cross and what that has to do with church being a safe place for imperfect people (sinners) to gather in humility and worship God. Church is meant to be a place where we can come just as we are without having to pretend we are something that we aren’t and experience acceptance when we feel tired and confused. It is the place where God’s people come and are reminded of God’s grace and mercy. It is the understanding of the cross and its work in our lives that allows this to happen in the church.

The cross represents weakness and death. We have a natural aversion to weakness and all that death represents. I mean who boasts in one’s weakness? In fact, we elevate those who shamelessly promote themselves. We are looking for power and strength! Consequently, we don’t hear a lot of preaching about the cross and its way. We would much rather hear about ways to improve ourselves and something that makes us feel uplifted. But there is no avoiding the cross in one’s walk with Jesus. Let’s read what Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

2Cor. 12:9 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I never hear anyone boast in their weaknesses. When was the last time you heard someone glory in his or her weaknesses? It is all about strength, success, and achieving.

I never hear anyone boast in their weaknesses. Generally, we are moaning and complaining about our weaknesses.

I never hear anyone boast in their weaknesses. Instead it is about denying their weaknesses, avoiding the acknowledgement of their weaknesses, pretending that they don’t have weaknesses, anything but to face them and embrace them.

We work hard trying to be strong, powerful, and successful or at least giving the impression that we are. But Paul writes: it is in my weakness that I am strong. Somehow, we don’t really believe that! The church doesn’t really believe that. As we gaze upon the cross and allow it to do its work in our lives, we become more gracious around others, our private kingdoms and agendas grow strangely dim, and we find we are more focused on what is truly important to God and His kingdom instead of trying to convince God of our purposes.

And when a congregation captures this, it is a safer place to be, a kinder and more accepting place to be. So let us not run from the cross in our lives, but turn and allow the cross to do its work in our lives.