Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by life's circumstances? Like you're trying your hardest, but still coming up short? I've been there too. In fact, recently God has been teaching me something profound about weakness that I want to share with you.

Finding Hope in Dark Places

Even when it seems like it's pitch black—"3:00 in the nighttime, there's not a star in the sky, there's not a moon hanging there, you're in the middle of the cornfields"—there's still reason to be hopeful. Why? Because "Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. He is alive today. He's going to be alive forevermore. And as long as that is true, it doesn't matter about anything else because He is on His throne."

This truth has become more real to me than ever before. As I prepare for retirement from my full-time job, I've found myself more confident in God's plan and direction, even when I can't see the path ahead clearly.

Understanding Our Weakness

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul writes about his own struggle with weakness:

"Because of the surpassing greatness of the Revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

When we feel weak, we need to ask ourselves: Why am I weak? Sometimes our weakness comes from external sources—circumstances beyond our control. Paul mentions several in verse 10: "weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions, difficulties." These are things we have "absolutely no control over whatsoever."

But other times, our weakness comes from internal sources—things we bring on ourselves. Maybe we lack vision for our lives. Proverbs 29:18 reminds us, "When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild" (NLT).

The Danger of Disconnection

One of the most critical causes of weakness is disconnection from Jesus. In John 15, Jesus makes this abundantly clear: "I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."

This truth hit me hard. Unless we are connected intimately with Jesus, we "don't have any basis for a lot of hope in your life or a lot of hope in the church's life." There is simply no life apart from Him.

Finding Strength in Weakness

So how do we find strength in our weakness? It's not through more work, more goals, or more human effort. It's not by saying, "If I don't do it, who will?"

Instead, true strength comes through:

  1. Confession of our personal sin

We need to confess when we've "not spent quality time with Jesus, listening to Him, seeing what He's seeing, feeling how He's feeling." I've had to confess my own shortcomings in this area repeatedly.

  1. Genuine repentance

"Repentance starts up here," I pointed to my head. "It's a change of mind. It's a change of how you're thinking and then it's a change of direction. Instead of running away from God, we're running toward Him."

  1. Opening our eyes to God's work

We need to see what God is doing around us, even in seemingly hopeless situations.

  1. Focusing on Jesus

This means "not taking our eyes off of Him" and "walking with Him every day, every moment of every day." I'm not talking about a 15-minute devotion in the morning, but taking Jesus with you throughout your entire day.

Putting It Into Practice

I still believe with all my heart that "Jesus Christ is on His throne." I still believe "He works miracles today." I still believe "He is in the life-changing business and He makes old things new."

Here's what this means for your daily life:

  • When worry or anxiety enters your mind, talk to Jesus about it
  • Allow Him to mentor you through your weaknesses
  • Remember that He can transform the "deadest of dead" situations
  • Look for Him in the ordinary moments of your day

Remember Paul's powerful conclusion: "When I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). Your weakness isn't the end of your story—it's the beginning of discovering God's strength working through you in ways you never thought possible.