Strength in weakness

2 Corinthians 12:10  "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."

It is natural to look at hindrances and obstacles in our lives and ask God to relieve us of them or take them away.  It seems natural to us to say that if God would take away the roadblocks in front of us, we could be so much more effective for Christ.

When we say this, what we are really asking God to do is to allow us to work in the fullness of our own strength.  We believe we could become a superhero for Christ if only we were unshackled and allowed to put our strength on full display.  The truth of the matter is that we accomplish nothing of eternal greatness in our own strength.  Only Christ working in us and through us is able to achieve what will bring glory to His name. 

Obstacles and hardships may or may not be the work of Satan, but the fact that these obstacles are not taken from us is a sovereign decision of God.  He wants us to have constant reminders of our weakness and dependence on Him and His strength.  As Paul says above, it is only in our weakness that we can truly be strong in Him.  This should cause us to rejoice in hardship and to thank God for giving us circumstances that keep us close to Him.