Thoughts from Martin Harris
The Gift of Weakness
For many years, when facing challenge, I would try to summons as much faith as I could. The problem was there didn’t seem to be much progress. Slowly, I began to discover all is grace! Faith is truly a gift I cannot “work up”. It is a gift I receive in weakness, when Christ has brought me to the end of myself. For me this dying with Christ has come to mean three things:
First, there are “little deaths” in life - when I’m at the end of myself. Paul speaks of his “thorn in the flesh“ (2 Corinthians 12:7) as something given by God. In moments of pain I seek to say thank you to God for the thorn, to see myself as being “crucified with Christ”, as God strips away self.
Secondly, there is the loneliness of the cross. Christ had to make the decision of trust himself. So for us. In this way habits of faith are formed and deepened.
Finally, when I say “your will be done“, I am open to being transformed “from glory into glory”
Weakness is a gift to others too. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 says God gives gifts to all for the common good. Our “weakness” and “ungiftedness” can be “gifts” too.
Many years ago I was challenged by someone without legs who said to me that they hope they have no legs in heaven. He had so come to terms with life in this world that he didn’t want heaven to make him a different person. Those words have been a gift and a challenge to me. What really matters in life?
Let us see each other with fresh eyes. That person who cannot do something, or who is suffering… In what ways is God waiting to minister to you through them? They are rich, for “blessed are the poor in spirit - theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.
Martin Harris.