Rejoicing in Our Weakness

How often are we paralyzed in evangelism by the thought of our own weakness? How often have we come away from an evangelistic attempt thinking that it would have been better had we never opened our mouth? I would have to answer the question with the words very often. Here is a little encouragement: God delights in accomplishing His purposes through weakness. I Corinthians chapter one reveals to us that the whole scheme of salvation appears to be weak. Our message is foolishness to those who are perishing (1:18). An executed Jew the only hope of eternal life and the way to God is weak and foolish according to man's understanding, but this is the ultimate display of God's power and wisdom (1:23, 25). Those whom God chooses to save only make matters more complicated. They are described as foolish, weak, low, and despised (1:27-28). But this is all done that no one may boast and that God may receive full glory (1:29-31).

Paul rejoiced in his own weakness (II Corinthians 12:9) because God's power was made perfect in his weakness. Again this week, I came away from a conversation feeling like a weak man who made a weak attempt to give what appears to be a weak message. This has been repeated again and again, many more times than I would care to count. But I was reminded that God doesn't show his glory through my attempts to be wise, He does so through my weakness. In fact, to add human wisdom is actually to void the message and empty the cross of its power (I Cor. 1:17). My job is not to make the Gospel attractive, but to make it plain. The more plain, the more foolish it will be to those who are perishing. But, the more plain the more powerful it is to those who are being saved (1:18, 24). Our responsibility is not to make converts, but to proclaim the message. Therefore evangelism only fails when we fail to make the Gospel plain, not when people fail to believe.

So my prayer as I came away from another bombed attempt to witness for Christ was that the Gospel of Christ, not the wisdom of Josh, would be the power of God unto salvation so that no one would have room to boast in His presence. So go out today in confidence, not in your ability to articulate the truth, but in the power of the plain message of Christ crucified to bear the wrath of God for sinners. It is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes. For God's Word will accomplish every purpose for which He has sent it (Isaiah 55:11) and He will be exalted among the nations and on the earth (Psalm 46:10).