Strength By Meghan Degregory

​His strength is perfect in our weakness
 
Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
 
Carl Jung said this: “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.”
 
How many times do we feel inadequate to do things? We all struggle to a certain degree with lack of confidence. We all have weaknesses. Often these weaknesses will actually be because of some kind of event or even trauma we had experienced in the past.  We carry things with us. How many of us have had something happen in childhood- perhaps a nickname that was put on us to make fun?  If you were to hear that nickname, what might it bring up in you? Of course, as we grow, we learn that we are not that thing, but often there are emotions attached to this that really last and linger. If you heard that nickname as an adult, you may still feel the shame and embarrassment you may have felt as a child.
Take, for instance, when God has called us to do something.  We usually really WANT to do it. We want to be used by God and we want to be obedient, but sometimes our fear gets in the way. Will we fail? What if this weakness gets in my way and makes me fail? How could God use little old me? I'm nothing special, in fact, I'm a screw up most days. I sin just like everyone and you should see how my thoughts can really get messed up. How could God use me?

God will use us and He will use the weaknesses we bring to the table in precisely the way He wills them to be used. God has factored our weakness into His plan. Because I am a woman who was raised in a dysfunctional home (but also a home that taught me about Jesus), I am who I am today.  I could never minister to people in my employment as a psych nurse and sit in people's pain in the way I do if I hadn't experienced my own and if I hadn't seen my parents in their pain.  I would not be able to connect with people on a real level in ministry if I hadn't understood what it takes to bring someone out of the depths the way only Jesus can.
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Because I learned about Jesus at a young age and my family prayed for me, I  was able to overcome so much that could have stunted me.  My father bringing me into the bar with him when I was  less than 7 and letting me dance on the dance floor to the juke box while he drank could have ended in a much different way...but God.....
You see, God used the experiences I had (and boy do I have stories), to make it so I could identify with people that others could not.  He will do the same for you. Now, I'm not saying that what we go through is not painful, but what I am saying  is that God uses those things for good if we allow it. We can minister to others in a way that is unique to our situation and this can be such a blessing to someone who feels so alone.
 
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28 NLT
 
God will use us if we allow Him to. He will use us even in spite of our weaknesses. He will use our weaknesses to make a difference in a life that no one else could. Maybe what you're going through will be part of someone else's survival book when they go through something similar.   
God will use us if we let Him.  He will use our unique imperfections for His perfect plan.