COMMONWEALTH

The Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12 are haunting. The great preacher and church planter bares his soul to a group of fellow Christians who faced their own struggles and concerns. In order to deepen their shared life in Christ, Paul confesses one of his great trials.

We do not know precisely what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was. Some suggest a physical malady or a problem with his vision. I have wondered whether it might have been the memory of his persecution of the early church—perhaps even his role in standing by as Stephen was stoned for witnessing to Christ. Whatever it was, this thorn caused Paul persistent pain and prompted him to cry out to God for its removal.

God’s response to Paul was clear: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Out of this revelation, Paul concludes: “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

For Christians, our weaknesses are the grounds for the strength of Christ. The Gospel flips the world’s understanding of power on its head. In a “survival of the fittest” world, the proclamation that Christ’s strength is made perfect in human weakness seems almost alien.

“My grace is sufficient for you.” This is God’s promise to all who are in need. Each day, we confront our sin, and we recognize that we will never be completely free from it this side of eternity. With this reality in mind, we join our voices with Christians across all times and places—lamenting, confessing, and seeking repentance. Individually and corporately, we confess the sins we have committed and the good we have failed to do. This act is rarely easy; it exposes our weakness and reminds us that true hope is not found in human strength.

Confession leads us to trust God. It compels us to seek His grace and reminds us that Christ is our only hope. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “In confession there takes place a breakthrough to community.” Through confession, we participate in a restored community: a body of brothers and sisters bearing one another’s burdens and testifying to the reconciling power of Christ on the cross.

When we confess together, we hope that the weaknesses of the past can be acknowledged, forgiven, and redeemed, so that Christ’s strength may be at work in His Church. The grace of Christ is sufficient—may we trust in it all the days of our lives.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we confess our sinfulness to You, for we have rebelled and gone our own way. We have refused to hear Your voice and honor Your will. Grant us the strength found in Christ alone, that as we seek Your forgiveness, we may draw closer to You. Teach us to humble ourselves and live as the light You have called us to be, united as one body, for Your sake and glory. Amen.