In my last post, I mentioned that the world’s longest application included several expected interview questions. Another question that gave me pause alongside of “What are your strengths?” was the contrasting question, “What are your weaknesses?” Again, the older I get, the greater understanding I have of my weaknesses, but the rub of putting them on an application is twofold. 1) Narrowing down to only a few weaknesses [let’s be honest, there’s a lot of them] and 2) massaging them to sound like they’re not that bad.

I’ve heard several pastors talk about how the Bible demonstrates repeatedly how God can and does work through people who are flawed. It’s absolutely true. He does it to demonstrate his power and sovereignty, not to mention build their/our faith. But there’s another divine reason we ought to own our weaknesses: it calls us to look outside of ourselves.

I think of Moses pleading with God to send someone else to speak to Pharaoh, since he gets tongue-tied and his words get tangled (Exodus 4:10). What does the Lord do? Sends Aaron, too.

Or Isaiah, recognizing his sin and filthy lips when confronted with the Lord’s holiness (Isaiah 6:5). What happens in response? He is cleansed and called.

Both of them needed help and were able to receive it in acknowledging their weaknesses. In Moses’s case, he needed a partner to walk beside him, even if just for the moral support. In Isaiah’s case, he needed forgiveness and cleansing so that he could be made right to do what the Lord wanted him to do.

When I see what I can’t do, I see where I need help. When I acknowledge and own those weaknesses, I can receive the help I need, whether it’s forgiveness, accountability, or the right team of people to fill in the gaps.

My prayer is that we’d have the courage to own our weaknesses, so that we might receive the help we need. May we have the joy of seeing God work in spite of our weaknesses and to grow us through them.