Boast in what? 2 Corinthians 12
2 Corinthians 12 " Boasting" " Boasting?" " In what?"
Great CS Lewis quote for those of us who are struggling which is everyone....“In the same way a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble--because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himself carried out." - Mere Christianity”
― C.S. Lewis
As we go about we know many are struggling....We learned about the stats about the suicide rate in the us that grew so much over the last couple of years. We heard about Anthony Bourdain, dead at 61. We heard about Kate Spade, dead at 55. Both died by suicide. The Christian lives in the world and has trouble. The Church has trouble. But if we know in whom we have believed we know that He is able to keep that which we have entrusted to Him...2 Timothy 1:12 I have entrusted to Him " against that day." The death of the coming of Christ, the day of our death, whichever comes first for our day.
Today's text in the letter of Paul makes us reflect on what we are proud of. What do we have confidence in? lit it means to have one's head up high to see properly. I boast in my ? boast in my weaknesses not because I want everyone to see them, but I boast in my weaknesses for Christ's sake. He is to boast of , not me.
“It is better to forget about yourself altogether.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
I imagine we are more like Eeyore than Tigger "
“Eeyore, the old grey Donkey, stood by the side of the stream, and looked at himself in the water.
“Pathetic,” he said. “That’s what it is. Pathetic.”
He turned and walked slowly down the stream for twenty yards, splashed across it, and walked slowly back on the other side. Then he looked at himself in the water again.
“As I thought,” he said. “No better from THIS side. But nobody minds. Nobody cares. Pathetic, that’s what it is.”
There was a crackling noise in the bracken behind him, and out came Pooh.
“Good morning, Eeyore,” said Pooh.
“Good morning, Pooh Bear,” said Eeyore gloomily. “If it IS a good morning,” he said. “Which I doubt,” said he.
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing, Pooh Bear, nothing. We can’t all, and some of us don’t. That’s all there is to it.”
“Can’t all WHAT?” said Pooh, rubbing his nose.
“Gaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush. ...I’m not complaining, but There It Is.”
― A.A. Milne "
( "Aw, tiggers never get lost, Bunny Boy". Tigger quote)
What came before this Bible vs about" boasting in our infirmities, persecutions for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
---2. The Apostle can be confident in his troubles and weaknesses for even though he asked that the Lord would take away his " thorn in the flesh..." 12: 7 the Lord said unto him, " My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 12:9
That puts the whole thing upside down, doesn't it? Distress, thorns in the flesh ( whatever they may be) put us down so that we are more like Eeyore than Tigger. We can barely lift our head . We need perspective . We need a change of view.
I have been reading another book our Bishop recommended . This one is for the caretakers....most of us are there at some point in our lives. Resilent Ministry, by Burns, Chapman & Guthrie There are 5 themes of resilent ministry. They are: Spiritual formation- " the on-going process of maturing as a Christian" ; Self-care-" the pursuit of physical, mental & emotional health" ; Emotional & Cultural Intelligence- ei- to discern what others are feeling & respond appropriately, ci- to respond right to different cultural contexts; Marriage & family- " to recognizes stresses in ministry" & to " focus on spiritual and relational health with spouses, children & extended family"; Leadership & Management- Requires a variety of skills
And He said before this vs is in the perfect indicative active tense which means as Erdman brought out, " the tense of the verb indicates that the reply was a continuous answer, one to be accepted for Paul's whole life, and so for all the hours of agony and the desperate cries of every suffering soul."
Conclusion- In our days, there are difficulties, trials and setbacks. We are full of weaknesses. I should not boast in those. I should boast as the Apostle so reminded us in the text that my power is made perfect in weakness. The weakness we have is so that Christ may be our glory and our boast. " For when I am weak, then am I strong." 12:10 Perhaps after we can encourage those such as we mentioned in the beginning that are really struggling. In Christ. Amen.
Great CS Lewis quote for those of us who are struggling which is everyone....“In the same way a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble--because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himself carried out." - Mere Christianity”
― C.S. Lewis
As we go about we know many are struggling....We learned about the stats about the suicide rate in the us that grew so much over the last couple of years. We heard about Anthony Bourdain, dead at 61. We heard about Kate Spade, dead at 55. Both died by suicide. The Christian lives in the world and has trouble. The Church has trouble. But if we know in whom we have believed we know that He is able to keep that which we have entrusted to Him...2 Timothy 1:12 I have entrusted to Him " against that day." The death of the coming of Christ, the day of our death, whichever comes first for our day.
Today's text in the letter of Paul makes us reflect on what we are proud of. What do we have confidence in? lit it means to have one's head up high to see properly. I boast in my ? boast in my weaknesses not because I want everyone to see them, but I boast in my weaknesses for Christ's sake. He is to boast of , not me.
“It is better to forget about yourself altogether.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
I imagine we are more like Eeyore than Tigger "
“Eeyore, the old grey Donkey, stood by the side of the stream, and looked at himself in the water.
“Pathetic,” he said. “That’s what it is. Pathetic.”
He turned and walked slowly down the stream for twenty yards, splashed across it, and walked slowly back on the other side. Then he looked at himself in the water again.
“As I thought,” he said. “No better from THIS side. But nobody minds. Nobody cares. Pathetic, that’s what it is.”
There was a crackling noise in the bracken behind him, and out came Pooh.
“Good morning, Eeyore,” said Pooh.
“Good morning, Pooh Bear,” said Eeyore gloomily. “If it IS a good morning,” he said. “Which I doubt,” said he.
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing, Pooh Bear, nothing. We can’t all, and some of us don’t. That’s all there is to it.”
“Can’t all WHAT?” said Pooh, rubbing his nose.
“Gaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush. ...I’m not complaining, but There It Is.”
― A.A. Milne "
( "Aw, tiggers never get lost, Bunny Boy". Tigger quote)
What came before this Bible vs about" boasting in our infirmities, persecutions for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
---2. The Apostle can be confident in his troubles and weaknesses for even though he asked that the Lord would take away his " thorn in the flesh..." 12: 7 the Lord said unto him, " My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 12:9
That puts the whole thing upside down, doesn't it? Distress, thorns in the flesh ( whatever they may be) put us down so that we are more like Eeyore than Tigger. We can barely lift our head . We need perspective . We need a change of view.
I have been reading another book our Bishop recommended . This one is for the caretakers....most of us are there at some point in our lives. Resilent Ministry, by Burns, Chapman & Guthrie There are 5 themes of resilent ministry. They are: Spiritual formation- " the on-going process of maturing as a Christian" ; Self-care-" the pursuit of physical, mental & emotional health" ; Emotional & Cultural Intelligence- ei- to discern what others are feeling & respond appropriately, ci- to respond right to different cultural contexts; Marriage & family- " to recognizes stresses in ministry" & to " focus on spiritual and relational health with spouses, children & extended family"; Leadership & Management- Requires a variety of skills
And He said before this vs is in the perfect indicative active tense which means as Erdman brought out, " the tense of the verb indicates that the reply was a continuous answer, one to be accepted for Paul's whole life, and so for all the hours of agony and the desperate cries of every suffering soul."
Conclusion- In our days, there are difficulties, trials and setbacks. We are full of weaknesses. I should not boast in those. I should boast as the Apostle so reminded us in the text that my power is made perfect in weakness. The weakness we have is so that Christ may be our glory and our boast. " For when I am weak, then am I strong." 12:10 Perhaps after we can encourage those such as we mentioned in the beginning that are really struggling. In Christ. Amen.
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