How God’s Power is Made Perfect in Weakness
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”— 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
What would a non-Christian say the gospel is based on what they see in your life?
Would they assume Christianity is about:
- Being busy for God?
- Becoming a good person?
- Managing life well?
During pre-field training, this question reminded us that how we live shapes the gospel we proclaim.
What Does Your Life Say About the Gospel?
This matters deeply. For many who don’t know Jesus, our lives may be the only Bible they’ve ever read. If what they mostly see is how polished or busy we are, they might conclude that the gospel is about doing more or becoming better—just another wellness practice that happens to “work for you.”
If people never see us needing Jesus, they could also misunderstand where our help comes from.
They could assume it’s sourced:
- In our wealth,
- education,
- or self-discipline rather than in Christ himself.
Without meaning to, we can point others toward achievement and self-sufficiency as their ultimate hope. That would be tragic.
The world is desperate to know there is someone who is both powerful and willing to help.
God’s Power is Made Perfect in Weakness
When we learned this in training, my first instinct was to “do better,” but true dependence on Jesus isn’t something I can manufacture. It flows from personally encountering the gospel—standing in Christ’s gaze of complete knowledge and complete mercy. Only from being fully known and fully loved does real desperation for Him grow. That visible neediness is what points others to Jesus.
Why Strength Alone is Not Good News
Perhaps this is why encountering a Christian who seems to have it all together rarely feels like good news. It may look impressive, but it can also feel off-putting and unattainable. Strength alone does not invite hope. People don’t ultimately need to see our competence—they need to see our dependence on Jesus.
God’s power is not displayed despite our weakness, but through it, while we are still weak. This isn’t a consolation prize or a backup plan. It’s the way God designed His kingdom to work.
Living Vulnerably in Cross-Cultural Ministry
What good news this is for our family as we prepare to enter a new culture like toddlers. We want to live vulnerably so that others will see needy people turning to a capable Savior. Even in this, we will need Jesus’ help to resist the temptation to “fake it ’till we make it.”
His grace is sufficient for us.
Discussion Questions:
Ways to answer these questions: 1) Pick one question to answer on your own social media, sharing the link with your answer. 2) Privately journal these questions. 3) DM or PM us an answer to these questions. 4) Post in our Facebook group, or tag us in your response.
- Can you think of ways people might see you leaning on Jesus—or miss it entirely—through what you say or do regularly?
- What might a non-Christian say the gospel is based on what they see in your everyday life?
- What areas do you tend to rely more on your own strength, smarts, or discipline than on God?
- Who do you feel safe being “weak” around, and who is more challenging to be vulnerable with?
- How might letting go of control in those areas help someone else see the real gospel in your life?