Dig Deeper - Sunday 7th June
Sermon Reflection Questions - Courage for the Journey: Courage When You Feel Weak
2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Link to service
Dig Deeper notes from Sunday 7th June service:
Summary
We live in a world that celebrates strength. We admire confidence, independence, and people
who seem in control. Yet many people are quietly carrying burdens no one else can see - health
struggles, grief, anxiety, family pressures, loneliness, or disappointment.
Many Christians assume weakness is a problem to fix. We think, If only I were stronger, more
confident, more capable, then God could really use me. But Paul turns that thinking upside
down. Weakness is not an obstacle to God’s work. It may be one of the very places where his
power is most clearly seen.
Weakness is not abandonment
Paul begins with an extraordinary spiritual experience - being caught up to paradise and shown
heavenly realities. But he barely speaks about it. Instead, he moves quickly to what he calls his
“thorn in the flesh” (v.7).
We are never told what the thorn was, and perhaps that is deliberate. Christians across history
have recognised their own struggles in it - illness, anxiety, emotional pain, difficult relationships,
or ongoing limitations.
What is striking is Paul’s phrase: “it was given to me.” The thorn is not random or outside God’s
control. It is part of his purpose.
That challenges how we interpret suffering. When life is painful, we assume God is distant or
something has gone wrong. But Paul sees something deeper: God is present and at work even
in the struggle.
The thorn is not evidence of abandonment but of shaping. What we most want removed may be
what God is using to draw us closer to him.
Weakness drives us to depend on Christ
Paul tells us he pleaded with the Lord three times to remove it. This is persistent, honest prayer
- asking God to change something painful and ongoing.
But God’s answer is unexpected: “My grace is sufficient for you” (v.9).
God does not explain everything or remove the struggle. Instead, he gives himself - grace.
Enough for today, enough for tomorrow, enough for every step ahead.
Then comes the deeper truth: “My power is made perfect in weakness.” The world defines
strength as independence. The Bible defines it as dependence on God.
Jesus models this in Gethsemane. He prayed for the cup of suffering to be removed, yet it was
not taken away. Instead, the Father strengthened him to go through it. God does not always
change our circumstances, but he always gives grace within them.
Weakness becomes the place where Christ’s power is seen
Paul’s response is remarkable: “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that
Christ’s power may rest on me” (v.9).
We usually hide weakness. We want to appear capable and in control, even in church. But Paul
has learned that if Christ’s power is shown most clearly in weakness, then weakness becomes
something to embrace, not hide.
Earlier he says believers are “jars of clay” carrying treasure. Fragile clay jars make it clear the
power belongs to God, not us.
This is God’s pattern throughout Scripture. Moses feels inadequate. Gideon feels weak.
Jeremiah feels too young. Peter is unstable. Paul carries a thorn. Again and again, God works
through weakness so that his glory is seen.
Our weakness does not disqualify us. It may be the very place where Christ’s power is most
clearly displayed.
The courage to keep going
Perhaps today you feel weak - tired, anxious, discouraged, or still carrying something you have
prayed about for a long time.
Paul’s message is freeing: the question is not whether you are strong enough for God, but
whether Christ is enough for you.
God’s answer remains: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.”
Your weakness is not the end of your usefulness. It may be the very place where God’s strength
is revealed. Courage is not pretending to be strong, but bringing weakness honestly to Christ.
Sometimes the thorn is removed. Sometimes it is not. But grace is always given. And where
grace is present, courage can grow.
So hear his promise again: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Not was, not might be - but is
sufficient - today, in this situation, in this weakness.
And so we say with Paul: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Not because we are strong in
ourselves, but because Christ is strong in us.
Questions to pause for reflection/group discussion:
1. What is my present “thorn” - ongoing weakness or struggle?
2. Have I been asking only for removal, rather than for grace to sustain me?
3. Where might God be using weakness to shape me?
4. What would it look like to trust “My grace is sufficient for you” today?
5. Where do I need to depend more openly on Christ?
6. Who needs encouragement that God’s power is made perfect in weakness?
A Short Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank you that your grace is sufficient for every weakness and burden we carry.
Forgive us for relying on our own strength instead of depending on you. Teach us to trust you
when life is hard and answers are slow.
For those who are weary, bring strength. For those who are discouraged, bring hope. For those
carrying heavy burdens, bring peace.
May your power be seen in our lives, and may we learn to find our courage not in ourselves, but
in you.
Amen.
