Abraham Lincoln needs little or no introduction. Of all his great traits, two that stand our most to me are his humility and reliance on God.
You may already know this but what you probably don’t know is that they were formed out of an infirmity. Lincoln had an excessive compulsion to please everyone, a major weakness and flaw in leadership. This led to his slowness to act in firing an inept general, George McClellan, which in turn cost hundreds of lives. This infirmity however, made him very reliant on God for wisdom, and gave him the humility to seek the advice of those around him. Which in turn helped, in no small measure, win the civil war and save the union.
The Apostle Paul was given revelations, many have not received before or after him. In fact, we are still trying to fathom some of his revelations today. A huge part of the new testament was written off the revelation given to Paul. You may already know this but what you may not know is that Paul also had an infirmity. 2 Corinthains 12: 7 tells me that his infirmity kept him humble and reliant on God. Paul says:
And he (God) said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me – 2 Corinthians 9.
It’s easy for me to ask that you fight your infirmity and bring it to subjection. That you win a major victory over your infirmity, and I pray you do. But the truth is that God sometimes allows this infirmity to humble you and keep you reliant on him. It’s easy to get prideful when your God given gifts begin to draw attention and acclaim. Your infirmity can keep you humble. Humility is growth. Total reliance on God is growth. Growing in your infirmity is being reminded that without Him you can do nothing. But with him you can do all things.
