Philippians 2:5-11

How Do I Protect Myself?

A Question Of Power

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

How Do I Protect Myself?

A Question Of Power

But what do we do when we have trusted God to protect us, and God does not shield us from heartache and difficulty? All this week, we have been reading Paul’s words to the Corinthians as he has been reiterating that he will not play the prestige game the other ministers have been playing. He doesn’t care about showing people what he has done. He will trust in God to take care of him.

But then we read this section of 2 Corinthians which surprises us. Paul has trusted in God to care for him. Paul has asked God to remove some form of difficulty from this life. And God has told him “no.” God has left this problem in Paul’s life, so that Paul will not puff himself up with pride. God tells Paul that “my grace is sufficient for you,” meaning that God is not protecting Paul like Paul wants, but God is helping Paul like Paul needs.

When we face difficulty, God is with us even if he is not protecting us like we think he should. God will use our vulnerability for his glory. And because God will be glorified, then we are not actually weak, but we are strong.

2 Corinthians 11:30-12:6

How Do I Protect Myself?

A Question Of Power

As Paul continues through this section of 2 Corinthians, he continually asserts and reasserts that he will not boast about what he has done, but he relents slightly in 12:1-6. He tells of how a man was caught up in the Spirit and experienced the supernatural first-hand. We can safely assume that this man was Paul. But even here, he does not say it was him. He shares the story anonymously. 

He also decides in the last verses of chapter 11 to turn boasting on its head. He’s going to boast about bad times in his life! In Paul’s days, it was a sign of strength to be in a battle or fight and be able to ascend the walls of the city to show everyone that you had won. Paul shares the exact opposite in 11:30-33. He ran away from a fight and was lowered from the wall. He boasts about running away instead of “being a man” and fighting.

Paul’s example teaches us that it is foolish to puff yourself up with pride. It is silliness to wear your accolades on your sleeve, ready to show them to anyone who comes near you. You do not need to tell anyone about what you are doing or what you have done. You only need to tell others about Jesus.