"And because I did not have to exalted for excellence of the revelations, I was a thorn in the flesh, (...) so I'm not proud. Three times I besought the Lord that it might depart from me, and he told me: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast quite gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For this I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake, because when I am weak, then am I strong. "2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Today is a self-sufficiency rewarded and recognized value, indeed, advocated at all. A lot of people will never admit their own weakness or need for help from other people. "I can go it alone" support, even when, perhaps, are the tongue to the floor. We are honest with ourselves, often behind the armor of strength and courage instead of hiding one thing: pride.
Someone once said that adversity produces holes in our pride. In this chapter 12 of his letter to the Corinthians (and elsewhere) Paul claimed to have many reasons to be arrogant, proud of himself and totally self-sufficient: a good family, good academic background, an exemplary religious, a social position of great authority and power over life and death of others, and so on. (Philippians 3:5-6). Even after his personal encounter with the risen Christ and his conversion, Paul had many opportunities to increase his personal pride and rely on its other location chosen by God because God had called him in a unique and specific to the role of Apostle to the Gentiles to bring the Gospel to the ends of the known world.
But you know what? God knows our nature better than we do, that's why the Lord, in addition to the privileges of the apostolate, also gave him a "thorn in the flesh", a problem unknown to us but it was so serious and debilitating as to require constant care and spiritual Paul was praying that he could bear. This was the needle must constantly deflated his pride human and put many holes in it as is necessary to prevent swell like a balloon.
God uses adversity in much the same way in our lives. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that are beyond our capacity to endure ... at least in appearance. But when we think we do not do it just as God gives us His sufficiency, His goodness, His guidance and strength. dwells in them.
Self-sufficiency is not a virtue but a trap. That's why God's message is the opposite of what the company proclaims it so hard. Those who wish to overcome adversity have to sacrifice their attitude of "I can do it alone" and learn to be completely dependent on Him when we are weak, God himself makes us strong.
Personally I thank God for the heart that puts constant needles in my life, unpleasant, unwanted but necessary to prevent or chosen to become a stuffed shirt, believes to be self sufficient, not needing others or God!
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