The Holy Spirit in Our Weakness
- Bishop Keith Butler
- May 13
- 2 min read
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9a)
Have you ever asked God to remove something difficult from your life—a problem, a temptation, or a struggle—and felt like He isn't answering as you hoped? You're in good company because even the Apostle Paul experienced this.Paul had something he referred to as a thorn in the flesh. It was a demonic spirit sent to torment him and distract him from his purpose. It troubled him enough that he begged God three times to take it away. God's response to Paul wasn't to remove the thorn but to provide him with something better: His grace. God said, "My grace is sufficient for you.” Grace is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Sufficient means enough—God assured Paul, "The Holy Spirit in you is sufficient to handle this issue.” God also stated, "My strength is made perfect in weakness." Interestingly, the word strength here is derived from the Greek word dunamis, meaning power or might—it's where we get our English word dynamite. God's grace isn't weak or passive; it's powerful. It's the active strength of the Holy Spirit working within us, especially in our moments of weakness.
Like Paul, we sometimes believe the best solution to our problems is simply for God to remove them. But God knows better. Instead of taking away the challenge, He often provides us with strength through the anointing of the Holy Spirit to handle it.
Practical Application
When you find yourself in a difficult moment, instead of just praying for God to take it away, ask Him to reveal His grace and strength through it. God wants to accomplish things through you more than He wants to do things for you.
Paul understood this. He accepted this truth and even celebrated it. He realized that when we're weak, we become ideal candidates for God's strength to shine.
