Weakness

~ Hannah

“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.”

-2 Corinthians 2:9 & 10

I think that the reason I am so hesitant to share about my social anxiety is that it feels like the weakest thing about me. As humans, we prefer to share our strengths with others— the areas where we have things figured out. It’s so much harder to talk about areas of our life that are works in progress.

However, God has been showing me the power of embracing my weakness. I would rather Him use the strong areas of my life where I feel confident and able. However, I’m realizing that if I can fully embrace this part of my story, God can use it in the lives of others. Only by journeying through anxiety can I understand the anxiety that others experience.

Even more importantly, God has showed me that my social anxiety is actually in many ways a gift. It reminds me that I’m human and desperately need God’s help. My anxiety forces my normally independent and self-reliant self to depend on other people to help me.

Although I am confident that Jesus wants so much freedom for me (which I am starting to experience) I often wonder if anxiety may continue to be a struggle in my life. Like the Apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”, my anxiety is a constant reminder of my humanity and need.

Moreover, my anxiety is an opportunity for Christ’s power to be evident in my life.

I’m learning by experience that His strength is made perfect in my weakness.

Published by Hannah

17 thoughts on “Weakness”

      2. I appreciate your blog so much. I relate to each topic you share about–especially social anxiety. For a long time I felt like I was more flawed than everyone else because others seemed to be okay in social settings–not necessarily thriving, but more free and more themselves while I tend to try to behave how I perceive someone wants me to and struggle to be myself and speak up and say ‘no’ if I shouldn’t take on another responsibility or I didn’t want to read something someone is recommending.
        It’s encouraging to know I’m not alone, though I wish no one else had this struggle.

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      3. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Yes, it is strangely comforting to know we’re not alone. I think that something that has really comforted me is realizing that everyone has their own area of struggle and that this is mine. It doesn’t make me more flawed or unworthy of love than other people. They have their own struggles that look very different from mine and it’s ok to have struggles. That’s part of being human.
        Blessings to you as you seek to fight anxiety!

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  6. Pingback: Weakness — Grace to be Imperfect – quietmomentswithgod

  9. Hi Hannah! Thanks for your posts, because it is very important topic. So many people suffer from anxiety and it is important to talk about it.
    Thanks a lot for visiting and following Suitcase Travel blog! Stay safe!

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