Some time ago I was reading 2 Corinthians and noticed that
12:10 varies depending on the version you read. The NIV says, “That is why, for
Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” However,
the ESV starts out, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses…”
Others translate the Greek word εὐδοκέω (eudokeo) as “take pleasure.”
While I usually use the ESV, I think in this instance the
translators have weakened the impact of the verse. There’s a significant
difference, at least in the minds of modern readers, between being content and
delighting or taking pleasure. Perhaps that wasn’t a problem for the original
audience. I can think of many instances when we talk about being “content” with
something that we really would like to change if we could. But to delight in
something implies that it should not be changed, that it doesn’t need
improvement, and that it is perfect as it is.
I suppose the reason for using the word “content” in this
particular verse is that we don’t generally associate pleasure with weakness,
insults, persecution, and difficulty. I’m sure most of us would like to avoid
those situations if we could, but we learn to put up with them when we have to.
But it appears that the Apostle Paul had a completely different attitude. He delighted
in sufferings, he took pleasure in persecution, and he had no desire to end the
difficulties, because God’s power was demonstrated in Paul’s weakness. “Therefore
I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ
may rest upon me” (v. 9 ESV).
I can definitely say
I’m not there yet, though I am perhaps closer than I’ve ever been. There is a
sense of gratitude and joy in realizing that God has worked in and through me despite
my weakness. I sometimes wonder how God can use my feeble efforts to accomplish
His purposes, and yet He does it again and again. As Paul says, “But we have this
treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and
not to us” (2 Cor. 4:7). God’s intention is to glorify Himself, not us. So the
weaker we are, the more glory God gets for displaying His power. And the more God
is glorified, the more we should delight in our weakness.
We tend to get it all backwards. We think that God is
pleased when we are strong enough to do the work on our own, like the boss who
finally gets his employee trained on the job. The problem is that when we can
do it on our own then we don’t need God’s strength, and He doesn’t get the
glory. And God is the only One who is really worthy of glory.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of praising human efforts
rather than praising God. I’m sure there were church services held this week
that were a great display of musical talent and polished performance, but if
God wasn’t glorified, what was the point? There were probably also services where
virtually everything went wrong that could go wrong, but God touched hearts and
changed lives and He was glorified. Some folks joke about the “demons” that
possess sound systems and computers, but I wonder if God doesn’t plan His own
difficulties for us so that He will be glorified in our weakness. He certainly
is capable of making everything work perfectly if He so chooses. So maybe He
chooses to let us stumble so He can be the One who is seen.
Most Christians probably want God to get the glory, but we
also have a hard time giving up control. We’d rather not suffer if we can help
it. Somehow we need to learn to embrace hardship as the Apostle Paul did rather
than running from it.
Lord, do whatever it
takes to teach me to be not just content with weakness, but to delight in it
for the sake of Your glory. I trust You.
