«That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong» (2 Corinthians 12:10, NLT).
I recently had the opportunity to interview psychologist, writer, and radio presenter Daniel Gottlieb. Dan helps people overcome traumatic events by using both his personal and professional experience. In 1979, Dan suffered a traffic accident that left him quadriplegic. This experience, which was initially traumatic, led him to completely change the way he viewed life. «When I broke my neck, my soul began to breathe,» he openly confessed during the interview.
While speaking about his accident, Dan mentioned, «I spent most of my youth fearing that if people discovered who I really was, they would flee and reject me; but I was lucky, because I had no other choice. My mask and my shell broke into pieces and I did not have to take them off.» In time, Dan discovered that the terrible accident that had left him a quadriplegic also gave him a strange gift: the gift of vulnerability.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes that He too «took pleasure in his weaknesses.» Why? Because vulnerability welcomes grace. «When we feel strong, we are not prone to rely on the grace and strength of God,» writes Marshall Segal in his article «His Delight Is Not in Your Strength.» «But when we feel our weakness, we more fully experience reality—and we remember our tremendous, continual need for him. The intensity of our thorns unearths the depths of his grace and mercy.» The reason we should delight in our weaknesses is that they drive us to go further into the depths of God’s unfathomable grace. Without them, we would stay on the shore, trying to control it all.
God invites us to acknowledge our vulnerability and receive His strength. God takes pleasure, not in your independence and self-sufficiency, but in your connection and complete reliance on Him.
Dear Lord, though I am fragile like a jar of clay,
You placed a light and a great treasure in my heart.
Your light in my fragility, shining through the cracks, shows the world Your excellent power and infinite grace.
#WomensDevotional
#RadioJovenAdventista
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate
