"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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
One of the joys of getting to coach three-year-olds in T-ball is the moment that they realize the glove does actually work. Most, if not all, begin by sticking their glove out, but as the soft T-ball actually flies towards them, eyes go shut, faces turn away, and their little bodies brace for impact — they flinch. However, after days or even weeks of being told the glove will do the job, one by one the tiny sluggers end up realizing that the glove works. It not only protects but also provides the perfect webbing to catch the ball, which was a moment before flying towards them.
Spiritually speaking, as children of God, we often face this same childlike doubt. We hear God's promises of protection, grace, and love, but then when pain, hardship, or mental struggle comes flying toward us, we can't help but brace for impact at times. We flinch. Even more difficult is when that hurt or hardship causes the world to reject us in our weakness. When responses of distance, judgment, or avoidance make our own fear feel louder, the flinching becomes even more pronounced. "The ache of our struggle seems amplified by the world around us" (Ps. 55; Jer. 20). Minds drift to questions of, "Who will stay close through this? Will God remain close?"
Yet this is exactly where the promise of Christ shines brightest. God does not flinch. He does not reject us. He does not question whether we're "strong enough" to endure but imparts His strength and peace in our lives. When the world pulls back, He leans in. When human support falters, His present grace, His presence, holds. And even when our own hearts are trembling, heavy with the weight of our sin or failure, He is steady. His power is made perfect in our weakness, and His presence is unfailing. As Martin Luther wrote: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, translated as "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."
Yet, the devil tries to shake this truth, whispering to our hearts and minds our own guilt and failure, rather than the remembrance and security in Christ. Martin Luther wrote this to a friend, Jerome Weller, who in 1530 was going through a struggle with mental depression and spiritual distress:
"Whenever the devil charges us with our sins and pronounces us guilty of death and hell, we ought to say to him, 'I admit that I deserve death and hell; what, then, will happen to me? Why, you will be eternally damned!' By no means; for I know One who has suffered and made satisfaction for me. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where He abides, there will I also abide."
It is not about not deserving death; it is not about being sinless. If it were, none of us could withstand, let alone catch, what the devil throws at us. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). Rather, it is about remembering who is the One who carries you through the process. God, who does not flinch, who does not falter, who does not fail. His presence always remains, no matter the present circumstance.
No matter what life throws at us, God's presence never wavers. He doesn't flinch in our weakness, our fear, or our pain. He leans in. His nearness is constant, steady, and faithful — an unshakable refuge in every tempest, One who was our help in ages past, and hope for years to come. As we prepare to remember those that have gone before us this weekend, may we keep this truth in mind on this Mindful Monday: His presence holds. In life, in death, His close and intimate presence does not flinch. It catches us when we stumble, carries us when we are weary, and stays with us when we feel most alone, remaining even in the face of death. In every moment of weakness or struggle, God is there — unflinching, unwavering, and unending. For all His Saints.
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