Scripture

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.

Observation

Paul now reluctantly shows that if these other apostles are boasting, he has more to boast about.

Are they Hebrews, Israelites, and servants of Christ? Well,he is too. He has served Christ more intensely than any of them. He has been in prison, flogged, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked. He faced dangers from rivers and dangers from robbers, danger in the city and danger in the desert. He has worked hard and long.

If he must boast, Paul will boast of his weakness.

Application

The world, and many in the church, want us to boast about our strengths, our talents, our abilities. The world wants us to glory in our own abilities. As Christians it is God whom we are to glorify.

For Paul, this meant basting about his weakness. He knew that in his weakness, God is made strong.

Paul could not have achieved all that he did unless God was leading him. It was simply beyond any human ability. But God could take hold of a man who was surrendered to Him and transform the world.

It is still true today. God will use whatever we surrender to Him and make it good. Often it is what we consider our inability that He uses.

Everything we offer to God He can use. It might be a skill or talent that we have. It might just be our availability.

Moses was not a natural leader. He was not a skilful orator. But he did surrender his life to the Lord, and Lord used him to take a nation out of captivity in Egypt and to the Promised Land

Prayer

Lord, I surrender myself to you to be used by you to your glory. Take everything I have and all that I am and make me a vessel of your grace. Amen.