Introduction

Good day, beloved family of God. I'm delighted to be with you today, as we gather in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, we are going to sit at the feet of the Apostle Paul, as he reveals to us, through his second letter to the Corinthians, a profound understanding of hardship, healing, and heaven's perspective on pain.

In the words of the esteemed theologian, J.I. Packer, "God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. Felt weakness deepens dependence on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away." This, my brothers and sisters, is the crux of our message today.

Let us turn our hearts and minds to the word of God as found in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10: "Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 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."

In these verses, Paul shares with us the paradox of Christian living – that in our weakness, we find strength; in our hardship, we find hope; and in our pain, we find the power of Christ.

Harnessing Hope in Hardship

In the face of hardship, it's natural to feel overwhelmed, to feel like the weight of the world is pressing down on us. But let's consider the words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. He speaks of a 'thorn in his flesh', a torment sent to him. This wasn't a physical thorn, but a metaphorical one. It was a hardship, a difficulty he had to endure. And yet, he found hope in this hardship.

How did he do this? He turned to God. He pleaded with God, not once, but three times to take away his hardship. But God didn't take it away. Instead, He gave Paul something far more valuable. He gave him grace. He gave him the assurance that His grace was sufficient, that His power was made perfect in weakness. This is the first key to harnessing hope in hardship - turning to God, leaning on His grace, and trusting in His power.

Now, let's consider the nature of this grace and power. God's grace is a constant, unending flow of love, mercy, and favor from God to us. It's always there, always available, always sufficient. And His power? It's not a worldly power, marked by physical strength or political influence. It's a spiritual power, a power that is made perfect in our weakness. It's a power that shines brightest when we are at our weakest.

This brings us to the second key to harnessing hope in hardship - understanding and accepting our weaknesses. Paul didn't hide his weaknesses. He didn't pretend they didn't exist. Instead, he boasted about them. He took pride in them. Why? Because he knew that his weaknesses were the very places where Christ's power rested. He knew that when he was weak, then he was strong.

The third key to harnessing hope in hardship is finding delight in our difficulties. This may seem counterintuitive. After all, how can we find delight in something that causes us pain or discomfort? But remember, Paul didn't just boast about his weaknesses. He also delighted in them. He found joy in his hardships, in his persecutions, in his difficulties.

This isn't about masochism or enjoying suffering. It's about seeing our difficulties from a different perspective. It's about seeing them as opportunities for growth, for transformation, for experiencing God's grace and power. It's about recognizing that our hardships aren't obstacles to our faith, but catalysts for it. They are the crucibles in which our faith is tested, refined, and strengthened.

The fourth and final key to harnessing hope in hardship is relying on Christ. Paul didn't rely on his own strength or wisdom to deal with his hardships. He relied on Christ. He leaned on Him, drew strength from Him, and found hope in Him.

This is perhaps the most important key of all. Because no matter how much we understand our weaknesses, no matter how much we delight in our difficulties, we can't harness hope in hardship on our own. We need Christ. We need His grace, His power, His strength. We need to lean on Him, to rely on Him, to find our hope in Him.

Healing Beyond Human Understanding

In the midst of our struggles, we often find ourselves grappling with questions that seem to have no answers ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO