I DELIGHT in weakness.....WHAT?

OK, so I decided to join the ranks of bloggers.  It's not a New Years resolution.  But it is purposeful in certain ways that I might or might not share as I go.  Right now I'm practicing the skill of NOT organizing the life out of something, NOT having a detailed plan and NOT being the perfectionist I tend to be.  I'm just going to dive in and see where it takes me.....


(I do have a tiny bit of a plan to share what my title "Peculiar Passages" is about....maybe next time.)


Several years ago, a friend gave me a little plaque that has this verse on it:

That is why, for Christ's sake, 

I DELIGHT 

in weaknesses, in insults, 

in hardships, in persecutions,

in difficulties. For when I am weak, 

then I am STRONG.

2 Corinthians 12:10

This verse was a huge encouragement to me in a rough patch of life and I have always had it near and visible where I do my daily quiet time.


This year, when I unpacked it to put it back out after Christmas decorations came down, I decided to put it on my kitchen window sill---front and center.   As I placed it there, the "I DELIGHT" jumped out at me.  I read the verse several times, then continued working in another room but the "I DELIGHT" kept replaying in the always whirling concoction of thoughts that is my brain.  I even walked back into the kitchen purposefully to look at it again.  Yup, it really does say "I DELIGHT"---on its own line, in all caps.


I DELIGHT in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, difficulties.....


Now, I've been a Christian for as long as I can remember.  And after a lifetime of Bible study and memorization, this verse certainly is not unfamiliar to me.   I just absolutely love that about God and the Bible.  It never gets old!  It's always fresh.  The old becomes new and the new becomes precious.


I DELIGHT....

So I'm taking to my Bible study resources and here's what I'm finding.....


Other words used in other versions:
       I take pleasure.....  (NKJ & ASV)
       I am well content, or quite content....  (NAS & New Living)
       I am happy....  (New Century)
       With good cheer....  (Message)


Greek definition:  (complete Strongs entry at the end, if you're interested....)
       What jumped out to me in the definition was:
                 decide to do willingly
                 be ready to
                 choose rather to be well pleased with


The definition of a related word contains an aspect of prospering.


I think I've always read this verse more like this:   "I'm willing to endure weaknesses, insults, hardships, etc. because somehow those weaknesses make me strong."   And I believed it with all my heart!  I think I was missing the whole aspect of choosing, being willing, deciding, DELIGHTING!


This week, there was a strange situation at work that caused a lot of extra work for me and increased stress along with it.  Looking back, I can see that on Monday, I was just stunned, Tuesday I was grumpy and resentful and had a horrible attitude, Wednesday I apologized to someone I had been disrespectful to on Tuesday and decided that being wronged, suffering because of someone else's actions, and being stressed did NOT give me permission to be grumpy or negative.  When I made that decision---that choice---it was like a burden lifted from me.   I felt lighter.   I could laugh and genuinely enjoy my work.  The situation did not go away, but I was overcoming!  I'm still hopelessly behind, but I am not in despair!  (now, that's another verse for another day!!)   


I am not foolish enough to think I have mastered this principle, (--and that's another verse for another day, too!)  but it has moved from a question to a conviction and a goal.   And seeing my weakness overcome with God's truth has made me STRONG!!   I can't explain it, but I experienced it!!


Okay---so I guess that's my first blog!


----just passing through.....
Robin
















Here is 2 Corinthians 12:6-11 from the Message if you want to read it for some context....
If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I'd still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk. 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. Well, now I've done it! I've made a complete fool of myself by going on like this.










The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon

Strong's Number:   2106    Original Word Word Origin eujdokevw from (2095) and (1380) Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Eudokeo 2:738,273 Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech yoo-dok-eh'-o     Verb  Definition it seems good to one, is one's good pleasure think it good, choose, determine, decide to do willingly, to be ready to, to prefer, choose rather to be well pleased with, take pleasure in, to be favourably inclined towards one    King James Word Usage - Total: 21 be well pleased 7, please 5, have pleasure 4, be willing 2, be (one's) good pleasure 1, take pleasure 1, think good 1