Purpose for Marred Vessels

[Backseat Radio]

Something struck me the other night in my daily Bible reading and I'd like to share it.  The thought comes from this passage which I will post in the NIV translation since thats what I read it in...

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)
7  To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
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.
10  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.

Paul had some kind of ailment that bothered him enough that he sought God 3 times to have it taken care of and in his 2nd letter to those in Corinth he's  telling them about it.  What really struck me is God's response to Paul concerning his ailment...  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

when I looked up "Grace" in Strongs concordance I discovered it meant

G5485
χάρις
charis
khar'-ece
From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).


The word the niv translates as "power" means...
G1411
δύναμις
dunamis
doo'-nam-is
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.


Is it possible that God was telling Paul that the favor of God, the gift of God, and the reflection of God in Paul's life was sufficent instead of being healed of the ailment because the God given ability to be a miracle worker was perfected through Paul's physical ailment?

Does God specifically choose vessels that we consider marred by disability or some ailment to do His greatest works?  Does he allow ailments and disabilities to come into our life to make us into the vessel he needs for a specific calling or gifting?

Is it possible that God would tell us at times "I know you want healing or deliverance from that ailment but be content with my favor and my reflection in your life because that ailment is what allows me to best display my power in and through your life"

[Babs]

Is it possible that God would tell us at times "I know you want healing or deliverance from that ailment but be content with my favor and my reflection in your life because that ailment is what allows me to best display my power in and through your life"

wow awesome thoughts here. and you may be on to something. 

[Backseat Radio]

I've struggled for a long time with "why hasn't God ever healed my back problems".  when I read that and started thinking on what it said it dawned on me that maybe in God's mind theres something better than physical healing - namely being hand picked and used of God because of the physical disability.

[Babs]

right, an old pastor i knew used to say, God can use you well after you walk it well. if we havent walked where the ones we want to see ministered to have walked, then we wont have much of a ministry with them

reminds me of a program i saw a group try to start one time at a homeless shelter i was working at. seems they wanted to start up a "stop smoking" program. everyone thought, cool i need that.

but the person they chose to teach the class? was a man that had never smoked even one cigarette. when they heard this, they all got up and walked out the door.

in ministry, people want to see where you have been, and want to know you truely understand what it is they are going through. i cant say hey tia, i really understand your back pain, except that i broke my back in three places, and now know what you deal with. i really think its the same in any kind of ministry.

if you are going to talk it, you will have to walk it.

[apsurf]

Interresting thoughts tia!

[Sister_Mom]

I've struggled for a long time with "why hasn't God ever healed my back problems".  when I read that and started thinking on what it said it dawned on me that maybe in God's mind theres something better than physical healing - namely being hand picked and used of God because of the physical disability.

As I mentioned in another thread, I know a girl who is Deaf. I've often wondered what she would be like if she weren't deaf. Usually those thoughts quickly lead me to an educated guess that she would be a completely different person. I believe she would have a completely different personality, different perspectives, different goals, so many things about her life would be so different that they would affect who she is. I wonder, have you ever considered that your disability, in addition to God's purposes for how He chooses to use you, could also be part of who He is making you to be with, by, and through the disability?

[Babs]

As I mentioned in another thread, I know a girl who is Deaf. I've often wondered what she would be like if she weren't deaf. Usually those thoughts quickly lead me to an educated guess that she would be a completely different person. I believe she would have a completely different personality, different perspectives, different goals, so many things about her life would be so different that they would affect who she is. I wonder, have you ever considered that your disability, in addition to God's purposes for how He chooses to use you, could also be part of who He is making you to be with, by, and through the disability?

wow sis mom! good thoughts, never looked at it that way 

[jennymyers238]

i want to come back and read these again, but there are some very good thoughts here

i have always wondered what i would have been like had i not been handicapped or gone through some of the troubles i have been through

[Sister_Mom]

  Welcome to GP JennyMyers!!

[jennymyers238]

thank you Sister_Mom