The Blessing of Weakness and Problems

It's easy to question the title of my post. How could any weakness or problem be a blessing? In our men's meetings at Harvest Church we've been going through a series by Neal Jeffrey titled, "The Man I Want to Be." It's been a powerful series from a guy you never would have expected it. Although Neal Jeffrey was an All-American quarterback at Auburn and played several years in the NFL, he has a major challenge with stuttering. In fact it was so bad that in football, other players had to call the plays and even say, "Hike! Hike!" What's so impressive to me about Neal Jeffrey is that he hasn't allowed the challenge in his life to stop him from doing what God's called him to do. In fact He's now grown to be very thankful for his challenge. Why you may ask? Because his battle with stuttering simply reminds him of how much he needs Jesus on a daily basis. He recognizes that no real triumphs can come apart from Jesus. With his stuttering, Neal Jeffrey has turned the disappointment and possibility of defeat into the joy of triumph. Paul himself said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "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." All of us have challenges in our lives and areas of weakness. The question is whether or not we're going to let those things hold us back, define who we are, and stop us from achieving those things God has placed before us. What will you do?