“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”~ 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
Paul wrote these words after pleading with the Lord three times to remove what he called a “thorn in the flesh.” We don’t know exactly what this thorn was—it may have been sickness, disability, or some kind of ongoing struggle. Whatever it was, it was painful enough that Paul begged God for relief. But instead of healing him immediately, God gave him something greater: His grace.
God’s reply was simple but life-changing: “My grace is sufficient for you.” The word sufficient means enough, fully adequate. In other words, “Paul, My grace is enough to sustain you even if I don’t take this thorn away right now.”
Then God added: “My power is made perfect in weakness.” The Greek word for perfect (teleitai) means brought to completion, fully expressed. Our weakness becomes the very place where God’s power shows up most clearly. If we were always strong, always healthy, always in control, we might never learn to rely fully on Him.
This is critical to our Biblical health theme. Sickness is not God’s design. He did not put it in Eden, and it will not exist in Heaven.
Sometimes we suffer because we reap what we sow (poor habits or harmful choices), sometimes because of the brokenness of this world, and sometimes because the enemy attacks. But in every case, God’s grace is still enough. He doesn’t always remove weakness, but He always redeems it.
Notice Paul’s response: “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” That’s a radical shift. Instead of resenting his weakness, he embraced it as a stage for God’s power. In verse 10, he goes further: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Human weakness plus God’s grace equals supernatural strength.
For us, this means that even in times of sickness or trial, we don’t despair. We can pray for healing, and God often gives it. But if He doesn’t heal immediately, we can still rejoice because His grace sustains, His Spirit strengthens, and His power rests on us. Weakness is not wasted when it drives us into deeper dependence on Him.
Prayer: Father, thank You that Your grace is always enough. When I feel weak, whether in body, mind, or spirit, teach me to rely on Your strength. Let my weakness be a testimony of Your power, so that Christ may be glorified in me. Amen.
