- Trey Steele
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
Spiritual Essential: Grace
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Every athlete knows about weak points. It’s the place in a lift where the bar slows down or stalls out. Maybe it’s coming out of the bottom of a squat, locking out a deadlift, or stabilizing overhead. You can’t ignore weak points. They show up every time the load gets heavy. And if you want to grow, you don’t avoid them — you train them.
Weak points aren’t the problem. They’re the pathway.
Paul gives us a powerful picture of this in 2 Corinthians 12. He talks about a “thorn” in his life — something persistent, something painful, something he asked God to remove. But instead of taking it away, God responds, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In other words, the weak point wasn’t being eliminated — it was being refined through grace.
We define grace as the undeserved kindness and power of God working in us and for us. And one of the primary ways grace works is by shaping us right in the middle of our limitations. Not by removing every struggle, but by meeting us in it and strengthening us through it.
So how does God’s grace shape our daily lives? It changes how we respond to weakness. Instead of hiding it, we bring it to Him. Instead of being frustrated by it, we learn from it. Just like in the gym, your weak points tell you where to focus. They reveal where new strength needs to be built.
Maybe your weak point is patience. Maybe it’s control or fear or comparison or pride. Whatever it is, that’s not where God steps back — that’s where His grace steps in. That’s where He begins to do some of His most important work.
And here’s what’s unexpected: the goal isn’t to become someone with no weaknesses. The goal is to become someone who depends on God’s strength in the middle of them. That’s where transformation happens. That’s where grace refines you.
So don’t run from your weak points. Don’t try to cover them up. Lean into them. Bring them before God and let His strength meet you there. Because the places where you feel the most limited are often the places where His power is most visible.
That’s how grace works. It doesn’t just support you — it shapes you. And it does it right at your weak points.
Questions for Reflection:
What’s one of your spiritual weak points? How have you seen God’s power at work there?
What does God’s refining work in our weak points feel like?