God’s power is made perfect in weakness
Our frailty gives God the glory, as he expands his kingdom through us
During elementary school in the little town of Reeds, North Carolina, I received weekly piano lessons from Mrs. Myers. She was a kind old lady who had probably been playing the piano since before my parents were born.
Soon after I began lessons, Mrs. Myers held her annual recital where all of her students played a piece they’d been practicing over the past few months. I was her newest student and had little time to prepare. We settled on that classic piece entitled “Chopsticks.” I remember feeling a little embarrassed about how easy it was compared to other students and also nervous about messing it up. So Mrs. Myers eased my fears by suggesting that we play a duet.
Before the recital, she said, “Remember, we’ll play this piece together. If you make a mistake, just keep going. You and I will be the only ones to ever know, and even the mistakes will become a part of our song!” When it was my turn, I sat down and began to play my simple tune. As Mrs. Myers joined in, the arrangement became complex and beautiful. Our notes blended together to make a wonderful song that brought joy to everyone in the room. Of course, everyone knew that Mrs. Myers was the one who was impressive. Her skill behind the piano allowed her to weave everything together on the spot to create beautiful music. Even my mistakes couldn’t hold her back!
Recently, I’ve been reflecting on how that duet with Mrs. Myers reflects the way we work alongside the triune God to advance his kingdom here in Japan. I’ve now served as a pastor for almost twenty years, and most of that time has been spent at some stage of church planting. I have learned hard lessons and grown in dramatic ways, but I can also say that I am more conscious of my own sin and personal limitations than I was at my ordination service in 2001. I have come to realize that heart idols like reputation, comfort, and success are more powerful influences in my daily life than I want to admit. Consequently, I’m growing in confidence that the good news that Jesus welcomes repentant sinners is not just for others—it’s also for me!
Gina and I came to Japan with our three sons in October 2012. We imagined that we would spend two years mastering the language before beginning a new church planting project in Nagoya. To make a long story short, things did not go the way we imagined. God brought new expressions of sin and weakness to light that had not been factors in the past. Our failure to master Japanese is just one example, and it sometimes seems like an insurmountable obstacle for effective ministry here. But it is also a window that displays God’s power working through our weakness.
Either cross-cultural missions or church planting are enough to unmask glaring weaknesses in any Christian. When the two are combined, there are daily reminders of our personal weaknesses and plenty of ongoing fuel for sin. Who is sufficient for either task? No one! Friends, that’s the point.
Scripture reassures us of the good news that God is the strong one. Christ declared, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18 ESV). Paul reminded us that God gets glory by using weak men and women to accomplish his purposes in this world (1 Cor. 1:26–31). We are like fragile clay pots that house a priceless treasure (2 Cor. 4:7). When we, clay pots, don’t shatter under pressure, it points to the fact that our true strength comes from God. As he expands the boundaries of his great kingdom through weak people, he is displaying his own power and glory. He is like a master musician who can incorporate all of the notes perfectly into his masterpiece of redemption, and even our missed notes become an integral part of that beautiful song.
As Mrs. Myers played, she displayed her expertise on the piano. However, as she did so, she was also building deep trust and confidence within her student. Our heavenly Father also invites weak people into his worldwide church planting work. As his power and majesty are put on display for all to see, our own sense of trust and confidence in his loving care blossoms. Has that been your experience recently? If not, why not?
So, cheer up—you’re probably even weaker than you realize. But don’t despair—God’s grace and power is greater than you’ve previously dared to hope! He is with you, and his strength really is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).