“‘我的恩典够你用的，因为我的能力是在人的软弱上显得完全。’” - 林后 12:9

我们的朋友是一位有天赋才华的演说家，他有无穷尽的幽默感；机智敏捷，言辞流畅，他很喜欢讲话，而我们也喜欢听他讲。我们有幸能够认识他。

可惜，他被中风击倒了。他一向拥有的才华，已经所剩无几；康复疗程既漫长又艰巨，而它亦只能带来有限的疗效。

我定期去探望这位朋友。他终于能够再说话了，然而他却要十分用力才能说出话来，所以他讲话时很大声 － 但他所说的话却是令人感到愉快的，因为他的话充满恩典。他不喜欢他承受的损伤，然而他却非常优雅地接受了这个新的现实。

每当我探望他时，他总会说：“神的恩典 － 仍然是奇妙的！”他为什么说“仍然是奇妙”呢？ 尽管受到严重的损伤和身体致残的限制，他知道他仍然是蒙福的。神怜恤他、深切地看顾他并爱他。他也欣然接受了神的恩典，这一切都在他的生命中彰显出来。他得以结出忍耐、仁爱、良善、恩慈 － 甚至喜乐 － 的果子！。

在他身上，我看到保罗所发现的看似互相矛盾的真理：“所以，我更喜欢夸自己的软弱，好叫基督的能力覆庇我… 因我什么时候软弱，什么时候就刚强了。”是的，我们的朋友现在很软弱，但在他里面我却看到基督的能力。在主里，他其实是刚强的呢！

神的恩典确实是奇妙 － 而且是足够的。

祷告

主啊，你应许赐我们足够的恩典。我们为那些在他们生命中彰显这恩典的人感谢你，又求你赐恩给我们去接受你的恩典。阿们。

哥林多后书 12:1-10

1我自夸固然无益，但我是不得已的。如今我要说到主的显现和启示。
2我认得一个在基督里的人，他前十四年被提到第三层天上去——或在身内，我不知道；或在身外，我也不知道；只有神知道。
3我认得这人——或在身内、或在身外，我都不知道，只有神知道——
4他被提到乐园里，听见隐秘的言语，是人不可说的。
5为这人，我要夸口；但是为我自己，除了我的软弱以外，我并不夸口。
6我就是愿意夸口，也不算狂，因为我必说实话；只是我禁止不说，恐怕有人把我看高了，过于他在我身上所看见、所听见的。
7又恐怕我因所得的启示甚大，就过于自高，所以有一根刺加在我肉体上，就是撒旦的差役要攻击我，免得我过于自高。
8为这事，我三次求过主，叫这刺离开我。
9他对我说：“我的恩典够你用的，因为我的能力是在人的软弱上显得完全。”所以，我更喜欢夸自己的软弱，好叫基督的能力覆庇我。
10我为基督的缘故，就以软弱、凌辱、急难、逼迫、困苦为可喜乐的，因我什么时候软弱，什么时候就刚强了。

Faith—Claiming Wonderful Grace

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

A friend of ours was a gifted speaker with a bottomless well of humor. Quick-witted and fluent with words, he loved to speak. We loved to listen. It was delightful to know him.

But a stroke struck. He was left with only traces of the gifts he had known. Rehabilitation was long and arduous and limited in its results.

I visited this friend regularly. He eventually learned to speak again, but he had to force his words out. So his speech was loud—and delightful. It was full of grace. He didn't like his losses, but he accepted his new reality with remarkable grace.

Every time I visited him, he would say, "The grace of God—wonderful though!" Why "wonderful though?" In spite of severe losses and crippling limitations, he knew he was blessed. God was gracious with him, caring for and loving him deeply. He accepted God's grace, embracing it warmly. His life showed it. He bore the fruit of patience, kindness, goodness, love—even joy!

In him I saw the paradoxical truth that Paul discovered: "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong." Yes, our friend was now very weak, but in him I saw the power of Christ. In the Lord, he was strong!

The grace of God is indeed wonderful—and sufficient.

Prayer

Lord, you promise sufficient grace. Thank you for all who show that grace in their lives. Give us the grace to accept your grace. Amen.