A Theology of Weakness

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, —2 Corinthians 12:9

We tend to view our sin as an end of sorts. We have become convinced that God cannot use those who continue to sin. So we set unrealistic goals for ourselves and become demoralized. Hopeless. We believe that every time we fail, God is somehow disappointed at best; angry with us at worst.

But Scripture simply does not support that idea.

It is more likely that when we come to the Father after a failure, He leans toward us with a loving smile and says, "I know." He then picks us up, holds us close, and starts us back on the way He prepared for us before the creation of the world.

In this transaction, our attitude is always one of repentance. We are saddened by our sin because we realize that those attitudes and actions are inconsistent with the new creation that we are in Christ. But God sees us differently than we tend to assume.

God sees the weaknesses — that we think make us unfit — as the soil for the seeds of strength.

Peter, after walking with Jesus for three years, denied that he even knew Him. Understandably, as soon as he realized what he had done, he ran away and wept bitterly.

One might assume that God was deeply disappointed — that the denial rendered Peter unfit for the work God had planned.

But that's not what happened at all.

Jesus met Peter in his brokenness and offered reconciliation. He not only reminded Peter of his calling, but confirmed that he was still called. Peter went on to be integral in the establishment of God's Church.

Like David, we are known not by the sins that trip us, but by our willingness to return — to repent, to trust mercy, and to keep walking with God in humility.

(Written in confinement.)