Back in January, when I was writing down goals and plans for the year ahead, I asked God for a word. One word. A word to focus on in 2016. I thought I had picked a good one. I liked it. He didn’t agree.

Me: Flourishing — can this be my word for the year? Please?

God: No, I’m sorry, but not this year. I have another word chosen especially for you.

Me: Oh. What is the word?

God: Weakness.

Me:

God: Did you hear Me?

Me: I don’t think I like it. I don’t like weakness.

God: It’s a good word. Let me teach you all about it.

Me:

I guess it’s about time to respond, now that half the year has come and gone. I don’t like the sound of that word any more than I did in January, but it’s still there waiting for me. So I did a search for “weakness” in the Bible and uncovered some surprises.

Weakness is looked upon as being a very positive quality in the scriptures. Paul talks about it a lot in 2 Corinthians 12.

“I delight in weaknesses”….”for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul goes so far as to say, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses….I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.” Why? Because God’s power “is made perfect in weakness”.

It seems God specializes in picking underdogs. Moses had a speech impediment. Gideon was the least in his family and from the weakest clan. Shepherd boy David faced down a giant. Paul had a disability. Even Jesus came to earth as a vulnerable little baby and later was “crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power.” 2 Corinthians 13:4

Weakness.

This word is better than I thought.

Too bad I waited six months to start looking into it.

I’m ready now. Teach me all about it, Lord.