Doctrine and Covenants 133:57-58 -- On the Weak

"And for this cause, that men might be made partakers of the glories which were to be revealed, the Lord sent forth the fulness of his gospel, his everlasting covenant, reasoning in plainness and simplicity—
To prepare the weak for those things which are coming on the earth, and for the Lord’s errand in the day when the weak shall confound the wise, and the little one become a strong nation, and two shall put their tens of thousands to flight."
Doctrine and Covenants 133:57-58


I like the idea here that God's gospel is designed for the weak. We are all weak sometimes, and I think more often than we want to be, or even realize sometimes. The cool part here is not only that God accomodates our weakness, and the plan is designed for us, in our weakness, but that the weakness is designed as well. I suppose God could have placed us all here with superpowers, but he tells us "I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27). We all have weakness and strength in different areas, and it is supposed to be that way--part of the plan so that we can learn how to handle both humilty and competence, and remember that we aren't better than other people, but that we all have something to offer.

Today, when we feel weak and inadequate, let's remember that God designed us that way, and our weakness is there to help us learn humility, and also Christ tells us "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9)--or in other words, our weaknesses draw us to God like puzzle pieces looking for a match. That yawning emptiness that we sometimes feel isn't because we have a black hole in our hearts, but because we have an empty space designed for God. Once we establish that relationship in our lives, things work better... we feel better, and we can have more confidence that we won't mess everything up, as long as we are doing things God's way. If so, then we know that even if it appears to be a big mess, it is all part of the plan. :) Let's embrace that weakness, and use it to turn to God and get stronger, rather than assuming we are already wise.