Welcome. We are honored to be here and thank you for being there. Today, as we look into God’s Word together, we aim to become more like Jesus—less of us and more of Him.
Our title is “Delighting in Disability.” Now, think about the person you know who has struggled with a disability or gone through a challenging time. So often, the disability or area of difficulty becomes the very thing they excel at, and frequently, they help many others in this area. One living example of this is Joni Erikson Tada. She was injured and lost almost all movement from her neck down. How has her ministry helped and encouraged so many people just like her? It is incredible to see how God used her to reach others.
Think about your own life. Usually, the areas of our greatest passion are areas where we have been wounded or experienced great difficulty. It is just like God to use these areas in our lives to help others going through similar circumstances. This is not us; it is God at work, and Paul sums it up perfectly in this powerful verse: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
If you can, turn to II Corinthians 12, and together, let’s think about how we can learn to delight in our disabilities.
Tharon Drake lost his memory in 2007 at 14 years of age. Every day when he woke up, he was a 2-year-old again—a reaction to routine childhood vaccinations brought on his amnesia. Every morning, his father accompanied him to school, and by the time he reached swimming practice later in the day, he was a 14-year-old again. Eventually, through the help of medication, he was able to overcome the amnesia. But by June of 2008, Tharon was utterly blind.
Despite his disability, he continued to swim in high school and eventually competed at the international level. He won many medals at all levels and holds 11 unbeaten national records as a Paralympic swimmer.
He also earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s in business administration. With all these accomplishments, the question arises: what was Tharon’s most significant achievement? This quote has guided him to all of his accomplishments. “Everyone has a disability – mine is just more noticeable than most people. God can use any person’s disability for His glory if you allow Him to do so.”
How do you react to Tharon’s statement that “everyone has a disability? At first thought, you may think you don’t have a disability, but in reality, we all do. If nothing else, our disability is the consequence of living in both a body and a world that is marred by sin and its effects.
The apostle Paul knew what it was like to live with a disability. He openly discusses this in Second Corinthians 12:1 to 10. Our study is titled “Delighting in Your Disability.”
1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—
4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself, I will not boast, except in my infirmities.
6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
8 Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In this text, Paul reveals the DISCOVERIES by which you and I can learn to delight in our disability.
The First DISCOVERY (that will help us learn to delight in our disability) is,
The Definition of Disability
A disability is a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person’s ability to perform specific tasks or actions.
You probably already knew that, but how is Paul using the word? The KJV uses the English word infirmities. The same word is translated in other places as illnesses, diseases, and invalid. But the most common rendering is weaknesses. It implies feebleness of some kind in either mind or body or both.
In verse 10, Paul gives us a partial list of these disabilities and says he is content to experience them. He uses the word weaknesses and adds insults, hardships with persecution, and difficulties. No one likes insults, shame, or having their reputation damaged.
And then there are hardships. Other related words are distress, compulsion, constraint, necessity, or necessity. Add to this persecution, specifically for religious reasons. Many of our brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing this persecution right now. Finally, distress or hardship describes a narrowness of place, not knowing which way to turn for relief.
We must understand that these disabilities or weaknesses Paul is talking about are not the result of poor choices or bad behavior. No, these are circumstances beyond our control, situations, and experiences that make us look weak. If we could, we would avoid these situations entirely. But we’re not able to do that. That is part of what makes them so hard to bear.
All of us face situations like this in our lives. In addition, we face hostility and defamation from those who hate God, Jesus, and the Bible. Like the apostle Paul, we must learn to delight in our disability. The first discovery we must make is to define what our disability is.
The Second DISCOVERY (that will help us learn to delight in our disability) is,
The Source of Disability
Does the disability Paul mentions come from Satan or God? In verse 7, Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh.” He said it was “a messenger of Satan to buffet or torment him.” To be buffeted means to be slapped or struck with a fist.
Would Satan purposely give something to someone to keep them from becoming proud? Pride is what Satan is all about; it was his original sin. So, he will entice many people to follow him in that sin.
But we must remember a couple of things: first, Satan is not omniscient; he doesn’t know everything. He doesn’t know how a person will respond to a situation he may instigate. Case in point – he most likely thought that Jesus’ death was the end of the story. Wrong! That proves he can’t know beforehand the choices we will make. Second, as we learn from the life of Job, Satan can only do what God allows him to do. He does not have unlimited power or access, especially to the people of God. And Satan misread Job, too.
Is it possible that Satan hoped Paul’s hardships would make him bitter toward God just like he hoped Job’s trials would? Many people have fallen into that trap. They’ve been told falsely, “Just come to Jesus, and your life will be better and easier.” In reality, the opposite is true. When you become a Christ-follower, your life will become more complex; Satan will use your desires, your friends, and your family to try to lure you away from Christ.
Paul realized that God had allowed Satan to buffet him for a specific reason. This thorn (literally, anything pointed) was so that he wouldn’t become proud. This sharp, pointed thing was uncomfortable.
So, Paul recognized God was allowing Satan to afflict him for a specific reason. Paul first discovered what his disabilities were, and then he found that the source of those disabilities was both God and Satan.
The Final DISCOVERY (that will help us learn to delight in our disability) is,
The Purpose of Disability
What was the purpose of Paul’s disability? What is the purpose of our disability?
Paul had experienced the fantastic supernatural revelation mentioned earlier in this chapter. He had been caught up in the very presence of God. We can only imagine what this must have been like. This kind of experience would surely be grounds for boasting. “I must be special for God to give me this kind of revelation.”
The false teachers opposing Paul were guilty of this kind of self-promotion. Paul wanted no part of that. But he didn’t want this thorn in the flesh, either. He understood that it was necessary to keep him from becoming proud. Is the temptation to pride the reason why God doesn’t entrust the “miraculous gifts” of First Corinthians 12 to many people? The well-known people of our time who claim to have these gifts are certainly not models of humility.
We make several observations from Paul’s insights on the purpose of disabilities. First, Satan’s mission in life is to harass you, discourage you, make you want to give up, and dissuade you from following Christ. It’s OK to ask God for relief. Paul did that three times. He begged God to remove this thorn. He saw it as a hindrance to his effectiveness for God. But God could see the big picture and said, “No.”
He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is fulfilled in [your] weakness.” God’s purpose is to glorify Himself and the grace and power of His Son through us as His children. He can’t do that if we’re full of ourselves. And so, He allows disability to keep us humble so we, and others, recognize that any good that comes from us is sourced in Him.
Paul concluded that he would boast about his disabilities—not because they were so much fun but because he understood that suffering for righteousness was proof that the power of Christ rested on him.
Not only would he boast about his disabilities – but he would also delight in them. Why? Because it was in his weakness that the strength of Christ was revealed. And that is what Paul wanted those around him to see: the power of Christ.
Can you and I cheerfully embrace our limitations and disabilities so that the power of Christ may rest on us? Or do we chafe and complain, accusing God of being unfair and of giving us a raw deal in life?
Let’s remember that God’s grace is all you and I need. He will give you and me what is required to continue regardless of illness or disability. We must stay focused on Jesus and stop worrying about what we can’t control.
When you are weak, God is strong. Your disability will stop you only if you allow it to. Trust God that He knows what He is doing, and learn to delight in your disability for His glory and the blessing of others.
When we are weak, God is strong. What a fantastic principle. This can only happen with God.
Thanks again for being with us today. If you want to contact us for any reason, here is how to reach us. The best way to contact us is by email. Our email is [email protected]. You can also connect with us on our website, heraldsofhope.org. We would love to hear from you and don’t mind which method you use to reach us.
As you go, think about this fantastic verse. I know you heard it before today, but it is so good to meditate on. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.
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