Finishing the Job

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, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB

Is perfected – The Greek verb, teleo, in this sentence is a present tense, passive statement. This, of course, means that the action is happening now, but it isn’t happening as a result of us. We aren’t bringing about the perfection of power. The action is God’s work affecting us. He is the actor. We are the beneficiaries.

Notice that Paul does not state that power itself is worthless. Power matters. But the only kind of power that matters in God’s kingdom is the power that He finishes through our weaknesses. As soon as we try to take the reins and fashion a destiny of our own, we usurp His authority and sidestep the exquisite reminders that weakness is the canvas upon which God paints His purposes. While the declaration of the prophet is absolutely true, “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” we should not read the prophetic revelation as if it said, “never by any form of might or any form of power.” After all, God demonstrates His might and His power fairly regularly. The prophet reminds us that it is not by our might or our power. The means of God’s restoration is our weakness, a vessel perfectly suited to demonstrate His authority and sufficiency.

Teleo is the verb of fulfillment. It’s the Greek description of completion, of the goal, the result, and perfect ending of a long process. Paul declares that grace is a form of divine power and it is achieved, completed and finished through human weakness. The world has been turned upside-down. We have been looking in the wrong direction. We thought God wanted us to be examples of strength but we discover He works through deficiency. We aimed for perfection through our own efforts but discovered He cherishes our imperfections. We thought it was about our grand goals when all along it was about His process. The lesson in the grammar is who is doing the work, and it isn’t us.

How will you put this into action? Ah, the question is almost an oxymoron. How will you put “not-acting” into action? How will you demonstrate that you aren’t trying to make it happen so that your inabilities become the highways of God? You could start by noticing your deep concern about control. You could admit that it is scary to actually let Him run your show. You could notice when you are afraid about how things will turn out. You can acknowledge those moments when you feel compelled to enlist your strengths. You could deliberately let go of trying so hard to keep it all going. You could embrace being weak—and love yourself. After all, He loves the weak you. The weak you is the most malleable, the part He can shape according to His design.

Walking the razor’s edge between weakness and power requires a continuous prayer. “Lord, deliver me from the fear of being weak so that I might be a fearless instrument in Your hand.”

Topical Index: weakness, perfect, teleo, power, fear, 2 Corinthians 12:9