God desires that the world will see Christ through the Body (the church). As we walk with our crowns of beauty, wearing our robes of righteousness and our garments of praise; the world will see something unique and different about us. They will be drawn to Christ. He will be exalted and men and women will be brought into a life-changing, eternal relationship with Christ. We do not need to be perfect to lead someone into the loving arms of our precious Savior. In fact, we just need to be honest about God’s love, acceptance, grace, forgiveness, and power in our lives.
People are ministered to as we share the fullness of our journey with Christ. This includes being honest about our weaknesses, failures, emotional struggles, sins, fears, shame, sadness, and losses. It is important also to share how God is answering our prayers, bringing us victory over sin, delivering us from lies and strongholds of the enemy, and changing our ashes into beauty. Ask God to show you what you should share with others. As we are vulnerable regarding our mistakes, weaknesses, and growth, others can relate to us and are given hope that God can work in their lives as well. Of course, we should never dwell on or sensationalize our past, our sins, or our struggles. We want to always focus on Christ and point people to His character and redemptive work.
Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. How was God using a ‘struggle' (“thorn in the flesh”) in Paul’s life for God’s glory? What was Paul’s attitude about His weaknesses?
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