Chapter 11

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

Chapter 11 provides a lot of context for this verse. I think usually it's just talked about in reference to Paul's thorn in the flesh. But for many verses prior to that, Paul is going over a long list of trials and tribulations that he has had to endure. His thorn in the flesh was a big part of this, no doubt, however if takes the previous chapter to really help us understand the full depth and scope of what Paul endured to come to this understanding.

And that's the beautiful thing about the Scriptures. They are here for us to teach us and instruct us so that we can learn through the experience of others. And not only that, so that after having learned, when we experience something similar, we can know that God is faithful and will remain faithful no matter what we go through.

We like to think about His grace being sufficient, His strength being made perfect in our weakness, His power resting on us, being strong despite our weakness, but what we don't like near as much is the rest of the verse. Chapter 11 was necessary for Paul to truly experience His strength and power. If we want the promises here in 12:9-10, we must take pleasure in our infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions and distresses when they come for Christ's sake.

What things am I suffering for Christ's sake? Am I glorying in them? If there's nothing, thank God, but maybe also take stock of your life. Is it a life different enough for the world to even notice?