Nineteen

Memorize a Scripture

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9-And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my infirmities, for then the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10-Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Chrissy's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I read these verses the other day while I was in the temple waiting to attend a session, and they struck me anew. After reading Brene' Brown's book, The Gifts of Imperfection, I've begun to see weakness very differently. It's not that I haven't understood the reasons that we are all given weakness prior to reading these verses or those that Moroni writes in Ether 12. But Brown's book has certainly helped me appreciate weakness more than I did before. I really love what Paul is saying in this chapter. Prior to these verses he is pleading for his weakness to be taken away. He's working really hard so that it will be taken away. And then Christ comes to tell him, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Yes, Christ is telling Paul that we are given weakness so that we will learn to rely on Him, but He's also telling Paul that in order for us to truly be strong we need to be weak. And this is what Brown's books are all about. When we lean into our weakness, that's when we find our greatest strength.