This morning during my devotional time, I was drawn to 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, a passage that stopped me in my tracks and made me reflect not only on my personal struggles, but also on how I’ve viewed weakness for much of my life.

“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. 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.”.   2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

Paul’s words are raw and honest. He doesn’t cover up his pain or his problems. In fact, he leans into them. And not just that, he boasts about them.

Why?

Because he’s learned that it’s in those very moments, those moments of hardship, insult, difficulty, and inadequacy—that Christ’s power is most visible, most alive, most at work.

That message hit home for me.

Like Paul, I’ve experienced times where I didn’t feel strong. Times I didn’t feel good enough. Times when meeting goals seemed out of reach, or when criticism stung more than I let on. But Paul reminds us that these are not the moments we should be ashamed of or try to hide. These are the moments when we are most dependent on Christ, and in that dependence, we are most empowered by Him.

Earlier in this chapter, Paul writes about a mysterious “thorn in the flesh”, a burden he pleaded with God to take away. But instead of removing it, God gave him something even greater: grace.

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

It’s a reminder that we’re not called to be perfect, self-reliant, or always in control. We’re called to trust. To allow Christ’s strength to show up where our own ends. That’s where confidence is born—not from striving harder, but from surrendering deeper.

This doesn’t mean we stop trying or stop caring. It means we stop measuring our worth by our weakness. We stop letting our struggles define us. Instead, we let them become the very platform for God’s power to shine through.

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Reflect:

What weakness have you been trying to hide or fix in your own strength?

Where might Christ be inviting you to lean on Him more fully?

How can your struggle become your story of strength?

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Today, I’m choosing to see my weaknesses in a new light.
Not as liabilities, but as opportunities.
Not as something to cover up, but as places where Christ is working in me, refining me, strengthening me.
When I let go of trying to be enough in my own power, I create space for His power to take over.

And that, I believe, is the true source of confidence—not what I can do, but what He can do in me.

The post When Weakness Becomes Strength: Learning to Lean on Christ appeared first on The Buca Blog.

“A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4

This morning, my devotional centered around one simple but powerful idea: letting go. The verse it pointed me to was Ecclesiastes 3:4, and it hit home for me. As I kept reading through the rest of the chapter, something became very clear; God really has made a time for everything. That includes feeling.

Now, I’ll be honest; emotions aren’t the easiest thing for me! If you know me, you know I’m more of a thinker than a feeler. Somewhere along the way, I’d say it started on my childhood, I started treating emotions like something to manage or control rather than something to accept. After all, it was something I saw growing up, not just from my family and friends but from the community I was raised in.  But today, I was reminded that feelings are a part of God’s design. They’re not a problem to fix, they’re a gift to embrace. That concept has often been difficult for me to understand.

Ecclesiastes tells us there’s a time for all of it: the joy and the sorrow, the laughter and the tears. There’s even a time to dance,  something I never do but should do more of, metaphorically or literally. Maybe you can relate. If you’re like me and in that middle stretch of life, emotions can start to feel a little more complicated. We carry responsibilities, regrets, memories, and hopes and sometimes all at once.

But what if part of maturity and faith is learning to let go of the idea that we always need to keep it together?

What if tears don’t mean we’re weak, but honest?
What if laughter isn’t an escape, but healing?
What if mourning is a path to deeper peace?
And what if dancing even just in our spirit is how we step into the joy God designed for us?

Although it’s been a difficult journey to understand my emotions and the emotions of the people I love and live with, I’m learning that it’s okay to let my emotions show up without judgment. I don’t have to hide them or push them away. God isn’t thrown off by my sadness or discomfort. And I don’t have to be either.

So today, I’m choosing to lean into Ecclesiastes 3:4. I’m asking God to help me be present in whatever season I’m in, to laugh without guilt, to cry without shame, to mourn with hope, and maybe even dance a little more freely.

Wherever you are today, whatever you’re feeling, let it be. God made time for this too.

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A Simple Prayer for You and I

Father, thank You for reminding me that You created time for every season — even the ones I struggle with. Help me stop resisting the emotions You placed in me. Teach me how to feel without fear, to let go without shame, and to trust You with what I don’t fully understand. Whether I’m weeping or laughing, mourning or dancing, help me know You’re with me through it all. Amen.

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