2 Corinthians 12:9
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. (NIV)
Smack Talk
By Robin Wiley
As an FYI – the definition of trash or smack talk according to Wikipedia:
“To make disparaging or comical insults to a sporting opposition[1]”[2]
Before I ever joined a fantasy football league (I am in two now – my family and our church league), I had been hearing about this “smack talk” that goes on between the team managers who participate. It’s kind of like a right of passage to participate in this kind of fantasy league and it’s encouraged too. Now the word “fantasy” as a staple for this type of football league is interesting because it is really mostly fantasy thinking your players from different teams: quarterback, wide receivers, running backs, tight-end, kicker and defense are anything special enough to win the top prize – the Super Bowl. Most people playing do have high hopes going into opening season game that they will do well, until their quarterback crashes and burns in his first game of the season. (thanks a lot Aaron Rodgers L.)
Boasting is part of the smack or trash talk vibe. The more you boast about your players, your skill of selecting the perfect combination, or how your team will win the ultimate prize – the more intimidating you are supposed to seem to be as an opponent. In the FBC league I participate in, the “Bible Thumpers”, David Mata’s trash talk usually centers on the same message, just like the name of his team, he tells the rest of us – “Why You Even Try?” He’s going to win again this year, so why do you even try?
But wouldn’t it be a very different league or sport if we only boasted of our weaknesses? Like the players who rarely see any playing time and have low point averages or the defense that is considered a last tier bottom-feeder. Until those players surprise you and have a strong showing in their points during a particular week. Boasting of weaknesses is kind of unheard of and rarely done.
But that is what Paul tells us to do in 2 Corinthians 12:9 because Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness. For Paul, this meant that Christ worked powerfully in and through his “thorn” to humble and prompt prayer in him (vv. 7-8). Christians don’t need to run and hide from their weaknesses. They don’t need to medicate, deny or escape their thorns. Why? Because when we embrace our weakness, the power of Christ rests upon us (v. 9). It’s not that we’re able to unlock our potential through our weakness or that our struggles produce our strength. It’s that our weakness and struggle open the door to the power of Christ, which calms storms, raises the dead and enables ordinary men to walk on water.
We can be content with our weakness because the Lord’s grace is sufficient for us. And we can boast in our weakness because that’s when Christ’s power is made perfect. For when we are weak, then we are strong.
What’s your thorn? What might Christ be doing in your life and through it?
Prayer:
Father God, thank You that Your grace is sufficient for all my needs. Help me to recognize and rejoice in the knowledge that Your power is made perfect in my own weakness. Help me to boast all the more gladly in my inabilities, so that Your great ability may be manifested in my life - to Your praise and glory, and in the powerful name of our Savior Jesus - Amen.
RW Footnote: In my family FF football league – I am 1-1 and it looks like I may lose this week’s matchup. I boast that I will probably not make the playoffs again this year and will enjoy being ranked at the bottom. (I am grinning in a strained way as I write this…LOL!) On a better note - In the FBC league – I am 2-0 and will win again this week taking the lead in points for the Bible Thumpers. So for me – this is a balance of both my strengths AND weaknesses which I give happily to God anyways (wink-wink).
[1]https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+smack+talk&oq=definition+of+smack+talk&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l3j0i390l2.5208j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trash-talk#:~:text=Smack%20talk%20is%20also%20a,be%20boisterous%20toward%20their%20opponents.&text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20it,synonymous%20with%20%22trash%20talk%22.