The Gift of A Handicap

Picture the fishermen disciples in their fishing boat facing a strength-gaining storm.  They've used up all their ideas, their knowledge, their prowess, their skill to solve the problem, but even 2,000 years later we don't know how to stop a storm.  Then lightning reveals a figure walking calmly toward them on the water. Jesus. 

Feel the heat as Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego are hustled closer to the fiery furnace and see soldiers ahead of them fall dead from the intensity of the blaze. A quick, hard push and the flames lick impotently at their tender flesh. And Who stands waiting for them? God In Flesh - the Fourth Man in the fiery furnace - Jesus. 

Nowhere in Scripture does it say "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Nor was Christ a proponent of "self-made men."  These ideas drip off proud human tongues.  God installs the furnaces, throws down challenges and commissions us to helpless positions for one reason: to reveal Himself as our shelter, our asbestos, our Hope, our Friend and our God.

Paul learned to see his weakness as a God-gift and found Christ walking with him in his own storms and furnaces. 
Notice the phrase "the gift of a handicap."

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, 
           and so I wouldn’t get a big head, 
I was given the gift of a handicap 
           to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. 
Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; 
           what he in fact did was push me to my knees. 
No danger then of walking around high and mighty! 
At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. 
Three times I did that, and then He told me, 
          'My grace is enough; it’s all you need. 
          My strength comes into its own in your weakness.'
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. 
     I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. 
It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. 
Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, 
          these limitations that cut me down to size—
               abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. 
I just let Christ take over!
And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.   
2 Corinthians 12:8-10  (The Message - italics are mine)

I can't. You can't. We all can't.
God can.

When it's all too much, too big, too intense, too rocky, too sticky, too uncertain - remember our weaknesses are Grace-gifts. Praise God, He's about to reveal Himself through our humble obedience.  

Lord, help us stop focusing on our handicaps, comparing our strengths, and expecting ourselves to be anything but limited humans.  You designed us to be needy and weak so we would run to You. May we be like the three who faced the furnace, allowing You to reveal Yourself through our obedience.  Guide us not to turn molehills into mountains (and many of our "crises" are molehills) but help us stand down as You move the mountains. 
In the Name of Jesus Who revealed Your Glory through His obedience