Finding Strength in Our Weakness Through Christ
There is an exhaustion that we feel in this modern era. Juggling the pressures to do it all and have it all. Our marriage, motherhood, careers, church, friendships - all take work and energy. Many times we mask the fatigue, anxiety, and the feelings of inadequacy that we may feel in one or more of those areas. In a culture obsessed with self-reliance, being the “girl boss”, and highlight reels on social media showcasing only the very best talents and achievements, we bury our shortcomings. We tell ourselves that to be faithful, strong Christian women, we must have it all together. Trying to be strong in our own power is exhausting. But what if the very things we hide are not obstacles to God’s plan, but the very way that we are instructed to invite in the Creator of the universe? His kingdom operates on an upside-down economy - our inadequacies and perceived flaws are not our disqualifications, but they are the very space where God displays His grace and deepens our intimacy with Him!
2 Corinthians 12:9 — “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
What is the problem with masking our limitations? One of the problems with this mask is that we create an illusion of self-sufficiency. By leaning entirely on our own abilities, our own emotional bandwidth, our own resources, we will inevitably burn out. We are not drawing from the Source to sustain us. God instead tells us that he meets us in our weakness. Scripture never commands us to be all-sufficient; it instead invites us to be reliant on Christ. When we can admit “I can’t do this alone” - that is where we create space for God to come near.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Let’s look at the story of Elisha and the Widow’s olive oil.
2 Kings 4:1-7
“The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves. Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
The prophet Elisha meets a grieving wife and mother who is faced with crushing debt after her husband dies and the imminent loss of her children to be turned over as slaves to those creditors. Elisha asks, “Tell me, what do you have in your house?” The response. “Your servant has nothing except a small jar of olive oil,” Elisha tells her to go to her neighbor and request empty jars. She quickly obeys. God did not tell her to go and earn wealth or pretend that she was fine. He came to where she was and what she did have and blessed that. The woman did not sit in her pride or her discouragement and not seek help either. Not only did she see Elisha, a man of God, and ask for help, but she also had to go to her neighbors for empty vessels. With those vessels, the Lord miraculously filled each of them for her to sell. The oil only stopped flowing when there were no more empty jars to fill. Notice what God chose to fill: empty jars. Just like those jars, God does not require overflowing reservoirs of talent or strength; He asks for obedience and a willing heart to call upon Him.
Let us now shift from hiding our weaknesses to abiding in Christ to strengthen them. Here are some practical ways for us to lean into God each day through our moments of weakness.
Hand over Perfection for Relationship: Instead of sitting in guilt or shame of inadequacy, seek God honestly in prayer. Hebrews 4:16: “approach the throne of grace with confidence”
Rethinking Weakness: View feelings of inadequacy not as personal failure, but as a built-in alarm system, reminding you to draw near to God and rely on Him, rather than your own energy.
Embrace Holy Vulnerability: Share struggles within Christian community. When women drop the facade of "having it all together," it invites authentic fellowship and collective reliance on Christ.
2 Corinthians 12:10: “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” God does not ask for you to be invincible, to have it all together. Instead, He has created you with a set of strengths and weaknesses to be used by Him for His glory. He wants you to draw close to Him and rely on Him. Your limitations are not an embarrassment to God - they are an invitation to be sustained by Him. What is one “empty vessel” in your life right now that you can place at the Lord’s feet instead of trying to accomplish it on your own?
Where am I hiding instead of abiding? Write down three flaws or weaknesses you tend to apologize for or hide from others. Next to each, write a short prayer asking God how His grace can be magnified through that specific limitation.