But he (the Lord) 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 in me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ***parentheses, mine

I struggle to identify with Paul’s delight in weaknesses in insults, persecutions, etc. Yet, in the 40 years of my life as a Christian, I have indeed experienced the power of Christ in those very instances. In that, I delight. When you are insulted, and you want to lash out, but you hold your tongue and go to the Word of God and prayer, the Lord leads you to work though the insult to a place of grace and forgiveness. THAT is the power of Christ made perfect in weakness. When you suffer persecution for doing right, or even for no explainable reason, and you hold on to the hand of God and slog through it with Him, you learn humility, grace, servanthood, hope and comfort as only He can give. When Christ leads you out of the other side of your trial or struggle to a door He has opened wide to refreshment and restoration, then, you will know Christ’s power is made perfect in weakness.