Playing Dodgeball

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That 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.

It's funny how I often treat, the things in verse 10 like a game of dodgeball. Often like dodgeball I will try to avoid these things at all costs and deny that they are happening. Why? Fear of confrontation, fear of rejection, fear of admitting weaknesses, believing the myth that somehow if I just avoid it, it will go away. They don't go away in fact if not dealt with they grow into bigger problems. I believe that is why Paul writes, "Do not let the sun go down on your anger." There is something about dealing with the issue before you go to sleep. I know my dad would say that there were some nights that he and my mom would stay up pretty late dealing with an issue, but as far as I know they practiced this and did not allow issues to seperate them. According to these verses admitting weaknesses is not weakness at all but rather strength. The key here is that in dealing with the issues of my life I must look to Christ to give me the strength and I must rely on Him to help me with each one. If I try it alone it would be like playing dodgeball with just me on one side and an entire team on the other, no chance of victory.

Father today I need your strength to face the issues of my life and this day. Help me to turn to you instead of dodging them so that I might grow in strength and in my love for you instead of getting beat down.