Sufficient Grace

"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." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Paul wrote these words while experiencing a "thorn in the flesh." He asked God three times to remove this thorn, but God's answer wasn't to remove the difficulty but to give him sufficient grace to face it.

We often hope God will remove difficulties from our lives—illness, financial pressure, relationship problems. When God doesn't do as we wish, we may feel disappointed. But Paul teaches us a deeper truth here: God's grace is greater than our difficulties.

Grace is not earned or deserved. Grace is God's free gift to us. When we're weak, God's grace makes us strong; when we lack, God's grace makes us rich; when we're lost, God's grace guides us home.

Years ago, my friend was diagnosed with a chronic illness. The doctor said it was incurable, only manageable. Initially, she was desperate, feeling life was over. But gradually, she learned to rely on God's grace. She said: "Though my body is sick, my soul has never been healthier. God's grace is not only sufficient but allows me to be a blessing to others."

God's grace has a characteristic: it's always timely, sufficient, and personal. When we need comfort, God gives us comforting grace; when we need strength, God gives us strengthening grace; when we need wisdom, God gives us wisdom grace.

James 4:6 says: "But he gives us more grace." The word here is "more," not "enough." God's grace is not only sufficient for our use but abundantly beyond what we ask or imagine.

Paul learned to "boast about his weaknesses." This isn't self-defeat but recognizing that in our weakness, God's power is made perfect. When we acknowledge our limitations, we create space for God's limitlessness.

Today, whatever difficulty you face, remember: God's grace is sufficient for you. Not barely sufficient, but abundantly so. In God's grace, our weakness becomes strength, our lack becomes abundance, our tears become joy.