Twin City church of Christ Blog
“May 27, 2024 - Burdened Beyond Strength”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsBurdened Beyond Strength
Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:8-14
2 Corinthians is remarkable for Paul’s willingness to show vulnerability despite significant opposition within the church in Corinth. Here he opens up about his emotions during a time of great distress. “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death”(2 Cor 1:8-9). It is unclear what Paul’s “Asian affliction” refers to; some identify it with the riot in Ephesus against him (Acts 19:23-41). Yet he had been certain that he would die because he was “so utterly burdened beyond our strength.” When Christians feel completely overwhelmed and unequal to the tasks of the moment, we are in good company.
Yet this is not the end of Paul’s story. “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again”(2 Cor 1:9-10). God saved Paul from the immediate danger, quieting all his fears. He also sees a lesson in the experience: “to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” When we are burdened beyond our strength, God shines. Paul also requests ongoing prayers (2 Cor 1:11), knowing that this is also a way of relying on the God who controls the outcomes.
The culture of some Christian churches often involves putting on a brave face and acting as if our lives are completely under control. We seek to manage others’ impressions of us, fearing judgment or rejection. Yet Paul shows us that it is entirely appropriate to declare to one another that we are in way over our heads, that we are not in a good place, and that we have a lot to learn. Only when we communicate our burdens to one another can we pray effectively or bear one another’s burdens.
-----------
One Thing to Think About: Am I willing to be vulnerable with my brothers?
One Thing to Pray For: Reliance on God, not myself
