I have struggled with my
mental health. A number of years ago I
had a small nervous breakdown followed by a time of deep depression. I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I wrestle with intrusive thoughts all the
time. I don’t believe that makes me
unqualified to be a pastor. I don’t
believe that it’s something I should be ashamed about. I don’t believe that God failed me by letting
me endure this pain. In fact, I believe
God has used these experiences to help me get alongside other people who have
similar weaknesses.
What weaknesses do you
have? Is this church a community where
you can be open about your struggles?
Are you someone who cares about the pain people may be passing through? Do people feel safe to be real in front of
you? Are you honest about your own brokenness,
or do you pretend that you have got it together? Are you willing to boast in your weaknesses?
The
health of the church is seen in how it values the weak (16-21)
Sometimes Christians are
not good at choosing leaders. Many of
the Corinthians had been taken in by the ‘super-apostles’. ‘You even put up with anyone who enslaves you
or exploits you or takes advantage of you’ (20). The ‘super-apostles’ boasted about their
Jewish pedigree. They thought that
mattered. In fact, they insulted those Corinthian
Christians who had come from a non-Jewish (Gentile) background. They had an arrogant domineering
attitude. The ‘super-apostles’ may even
have humiliated people by literally striking them on the face. Paul sarcastically explains that he and his
co-workers were ‘too weak for that’ (21).
Surely people wouldn’t
get taken in by such antics today. Think
again!
A young Christian told me
recently of going to a church where he was told that if he gave money to their
offering he would get twice as much back.
He gave twenty euro. The next
time he gave another twenty. He never
got his eighty euros. He stopped going
to that church.
Paula White is a
televangelist and senior faith advisor to President Trump. In 2025 she had a special Passover
appeal. She wasn’t telling her viewers
to give to their local churches but to her ministry. For a minimum gift of a thousand dollars you
would get seven blessings, including God assigning you an angel, financial
prosperity and sickness being taken away.
In appreciation for your gift she would also send you a Waterford
Crystal cross.
But is not only
‘propensity gospel’ preachers who take advantage of people.
There’s a danger that
when the church becomes obsessed with growth and numbers that people simply
become a statistic—their presence serves the purpose of enabling us to boast
about how successful we are.
We also have to be
careful that we don’t simply look to people for what talents they can offer. It is great when a good musician joins the
church, for we love to sing. But please
don’t welcome that person simply for their gifts. Let this be a place where they can be weak. Love people during those times when they feel
they cannot serve.
I wonder if the health of
the church is seen in how we treat those who the world sees as little and who
seem to have least to offer. I say ‘seem
to have least to offer’ because you might be amazed by the encouragement they
bring. It can be inspiring to see people
hold on to Jesus whose life circumstances seem most difficult.
The
health of the church is seen in how it cares for the weak (21-29)
The apostle Paul hates to
boast about himself. The
‘super-apostles’, have been questioning his credentials. They made a big deal about being Jewish so he
says ‘I am a Jew as well.’ Not that it
matters! They boasted about being great servants of
Christ. He hates to have to say this,
but he had actually worked harder than them.
Indeed, while they sought to line their pockets from their ministry, he
has endured great suffering.
I suspect that when talks
of shipwrecks and opposition the ‘super-apostles’ looked down their noses at
him. ‘That doesn’t look like a man who
is enjoying the blessing and favour of God.’
Notice how much he cares
for those he serves. He feels anxiety
for all the churches (28). ‘Who is weak,
and I am not weak? Who is made to fall,
and I am not indignant?’ (29). We can’t
live lives detached from each other. Remember
that how you live for Christ can bring joy to the Christians who love you. Similarly, when you stray from Christ it
brings them sorrow. You can encourage
them or discourage them. When we see
other Christians growing in their faith we are to rejoice. When we hear of Christians falling into sin
we are to be quick to pray for them.
The health of the church
is seen in how it cares for the weak.
The
health of the church is seen in how we boast of our weakness (30-33)
Paul would rather boast
about things that show his weakness and to have to draw attention to any real
or perceived strength (30). So, he
mentions what happened to him at Damascus.
Remember that he had encountered Jesus the road to that city. We can read about what happened in Acts
9. It was on the way to Damascus that he
met the risen Jesus. It was in Damascus
that the scales had fallen from his eyes.
It was in that city that he started to preach in the synagogues that
Jesus is the Son of God. There the Jews
tried to kill him. Indeed, King Aretus, was
guarding the city to seize him. So, Paul
had to be let down through a window in the wall of the city in a basket and
escape on his hands (33).
That might sound heroic
but it looked very humiliating to those who were there. In the Roman army there was a prize given to
the first soldier to climb the wall of a city they were attacking. Paul is the first one to have to climb down
the wall of this city. The basket may
have been a basket for holding fish. He
had set out for that city in strength breathing hatred against Christ and his
people. He left that city in weakness
full of love for Christ and his people.
Not everyone is
comfortable with weakness. When I had
that nervous breakdown, a friend took me for coffee and asked why I told people
about it. My friend suggested that if I
just said I was sick they could think that I had the flu. But why should we be embarrassed about our
weaknesses? Similarly, a young woman
asked me to stop sharing with the church that I struggled with my mental
health. She said, ‘I want my family to
think this thing works’. She had no
place in her understanding of the gospel for brokenness—just like the
‘super-apostles.’
Why might Christ want us
to boast about our weaknesses? He wants
us to boast about our weaknesses because they demonstrate His grace and
love. ‘I am not a Christian because I am
impressive and strong, but because God lovingly promises to lift up the
broken-hearted.’ ‘’I am not a Christian
because I am faithful and brave, but because Christ came into the world to save
sinners.’ Isn’t He wonderful!
Conclusion
In a healthy church,
where people boast not about their weaknesses not their strengths, vulnerable
people experience the love of Christ.
Do those with mental
health difficulties feel the need to hide their pain from us? What about those who are wrestling with
same-sex attraction—are there people they can talk freely with? Are we merciful to those who doubt? What about the difficulties in your
marriage—are people here honest about the fact that marriage can be hard? Do you know that you are not alone as you
struggle with that rebellious teenager? Do
we speak mercy to people who feel the failure of divorce? Are we looking out for those who find
singleness very lonely? Will we remind
those who are crippled by a sense of guilt that there is more mercy in Christ
than sin in then, and we know this because He forgave a great sinner like us?
On the wall in the hall
of our church is a print of a portrait of the great Baptist preacher, Charles
Spurgeon. We have it there because he
was a friend of one of the pastors of this church. I think that print was a gift given to that
pastor by Spurgeon.
Anyway, Spurgeon had
undoubted strengths. He was a brilliant
communicator and is referred to as the ‘Prince of Preachers.’ But he also had a great weakness, and that
weakness was a great benefit to his ministry.
He endured years of crippling depression. He talks about times when he would cry like a
child and no not what he cried for. He
did not hide it, and God used it. His
sermons and his conversation had a way of speaking to broken and distressed
people because he had gone through something like they were going through. One person wrote that ‘many admire someone
faithfully ministering through so much sorrow and adversity, but few wish these
trials for themselves.’
Who knows what God might do when we boast of our weaknesses!
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