2 Corinthians 12:10 – Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Meaning Under Grace:
Under grace, this verse speaks to the paradox of spiritual strength in the life of a believer. Here’s how it’s understood:
1. Dependence on God’s Grace
Paul is acknowledging that his own strength is insufficient. When he faces weakness, hardship, or suffering, he does not rely on himself but on the grace and power of Christ. Grace means God’s unearned favor and enabling strength given to us, especially when we are most vulnerable—Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” and God didn’t remove it. Instead, He gave Paul grace to endure.
2. Strength Through Surrender
Under grace, strength doesn’t come from willpower or self-effort—it comes from yielding to God. When Paul says “when I am weak, then I am strong,” he means that in his human frailty, the power of Christ rests on him. Grace empowers him to endure what he could not handle on his own.
3. A New Perspective on Suffering
In grace, suffering is not meaningless. It becomes a platform where God’s strength is displayed. Instead of avoiding pain at all costs, Paul embraces it for the sake of Christ, because it draws him closer to God’s power and presence.
4. Grace enables inner stability and peace, not because the external circumstances are good, but because God is present and sufficient in all things.
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:10 are a paradox. We don’t often think of hardship and difficulties in life as a sign of strength or joy. Our culture often celebrates the physically and mentally strong, and it’s easy to elevate successful and talented people.
But Paul says that God works differently among those who follow Him. Rather than looking for those who are naturally talented and strong, God likes to use those who are weak and humble.
Our natural success and talents can get in the way of God working in our life, but when we are weak and helpless, we must rely on God’s strength alone.
That is why Paul says he delights in difficulty, persecution, and hardship–because it’s in those moments that God is able to be his strength and joy. God forms character in times of difficulty.
Paul was not a naturally gifted speaker or writer, and yet God worked mightily within his weakness to produce powerful speeches and letters that are part of Scripture. God’s strength worked through Paul’s weakness to accomplish things Paul couldn’t do on his own.
This perspective changes how we live. It’s in moments of anxiety, weakness, or difficulty that God desires to be our strength. It’s in times of persecution and hardship that God is doing some of His deepest work within our lives. If we are in a relationship with Him and depending on His strength, then He will be with us in times of weakness. He promises to be our strength in difficulty.
2 Corinthians 12:10 teaches that our weakness becomes a vessel for God’s strength. Grace doesn’t always remove the pain, but it transforms it. Through grace, God turns our deepest struggles into His greatest showcases of power, reminding us that our adequacy is found in Him, not in ourselves.
If you’re living under grace, this verse is a call to lean in, not pull away, when life gets hard—because that’s often where Christ is most near and most strong. Amen.
