Abide in Me and Boast about your Weaknesses and Losses!
Here’s the final part of the series, enjoy.
Let’s start with Abiding. Paul, like Jesus knew the importance and priority of Abiding and spending time with the Father. Both were listening, learning, talking, and taking time out to hear what the Father said, and after being with the Father, they went out, did, released, and poured onto others so they could experience God.
Remember what’s poured into you is never just for you, it’s always for the benefit of others.
I encourage you to read John 15:4-9 in TPT (the passion translation) I’m going to share v9 “I love each one of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let My love nourish your hearts”
So, back to our question How can boasting, speaking out loud, in essence being vulnerable about the losses, failures, and weaknesses we face help another and us?
Let’s go to the Word in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses… For when I am weak then I am strong”
Wow, right? Just before that it starts:
But he (Paul) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness”
Examination time: Am I good at boasting about my losses? Talking vulnerably, and transparently about what struggles and weaknesses I have? If not ! Is it because your afraid, and want the appearance of having it all together before others?
Could be, ask the Lord about it. For the Word says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” hmm let’s pause there.
If vulnerability and transparency is a struggle for you as it is and has for many of us. We have prepared in advance a message that could help Here is the Link ! http://www.encounterministries.org.nz/uncategorized/bonus-extra-co-written-by-paula-blackie/
Back to the verse 2 Corinthians 12:9-10,as we share and be real about our weaknesses and failings, the POWER of CHRIST may rest upon us. To “rest on” means to lean on, adjoin to, combine as one. So, if Christ’s power rests on me, then His power is now on me, I lean on, adjoin to and combine as one with Him.
We are to be content with our weaknesses. To see them how the Loving Father does and EMBRACE and ACCEPT our weaknesses as part of our growth and maturing as Sons and Daughters.
We all are strengthened, and God gets the Glory because when “we are weak, we are strong”. In being vulnerable, open, honest and real with the hard, failed, messy, yucky things in our present, or past, the invitation is given to others, to do the same and they experience God’s power and glory in them.
Did you know that as we create a culture of brave vulnerability, transparency and love through sharing our struggles with each other, that gives testimony to His power shining at work in and through us!
Yes, my weaknesses, failures, mess ups, falls, have taught me and keep teaching me. I wonder if that’s because my weaknesses and fallings keep me desperate and delighting in Jesus as the One, I go to.
When I hear others sharing, boasting about their weaknesses, I get encouraged, because I’m about to see God do a miracle. They dust off, rise up, and try again as Sons and Daughters, loved by their Father. Remember learning to ride a bike.
We go to God with what’s not working, failed, or a weakness in us. We rightly position these at the Cross to hear what God says to do with each of them.
Challenge time: Grab some space free of distractions, and your journal to Abide with the Lord, write down all He says.
1. Ask the Lord what are the weaknesses and losses you’ve had that He is asking you to boast about, and share with others today? (write down all He reveals to you)
2. Ask the Lord for the details, of when, where, who and how, to share these weaknesses and losses with (write down all He says to you)
Take your time this is not a race; it’s about ABIDING, lingering, joining Him to listen to all He is saying.
3. Ask the Father, what fears, failures, and fallings He is wanting you to rightly position in Him, and what He is wanting you do with each? (write down all He shows)
4. Choice time: What are you going to do with what the Lord’s shown and asked you to do with each fear, failure and falling you’ve experienced?
If you want to receive the new way that He is giving you for positioning your fears, failures and fallings, then maybe say a simple prayer like “Father I choose to give you all the (write the fears, failures, fallings He’s revealed), and I choose to pick up the new (all You have revealed to me) in brave vulnerability and love.
5. Thank Him: For who He is and who you are in Christ as a child of God.
Father we thank you for how loving You are and how you care about all parts of our life. We ask that you keep pouring into each one of us, so we are overflowing in courage and strength, to be vulnerable and transparent about the weaknesses, and fails we’ve had. For others to receive the invitation to do the same, and for You God to get all the Glory. In Jesus name Amen
Craig and Winnie Patten
Itinerate Pastors/ Apostolic Leaders
Encounter Ministries
(This message was co written by Paula Blackie)
