You have weaknesses. I’m sure this statement doesn’t shock you. You know about them, most likely you’ve known about them for some time.
But the real question is this: What are you doing with your weaknesses? You can hide and deny them. Most of the time, this is what we try to do because we’re afraid of what might happen to our ministries if people discover we’re not strong in every area.
There is a better option. Instead of hiding our weaknesses, we can recognize and share them. Even better, we can learn to glory in our weaknesses. For God to use you greatly, you’ll walk with some kind of limp the rest of your life.
I have struggled with a handicap all my life. I was born with a disorder in my brain chemistry that makes public speaking excruciatingly painful to me. It is a genetic problem that is resistant to any medication. If doctors could have cured it, they would have years ago. I’ve been to the top neurologists in the nation.
In a nutshell, my brain overreacts to adrenaline. Neurologists at the University of California, Irvine, would tell you I’m allergic to adrenaline. Throughout my childhood, anytime adrenaline would hit my system, I would faint. In high school, I took medication for epilepsy (not because I’m an epileptic but to alleviate my symptoms). To this day, I still get severe reactions to adrenaline.
First, I get very dizzy. My vision blurs, and then I black out. Sometimes I get headaches—severe headaches. At other times, I experience severe hot flashes. Sometimes I can’t even see the audience. These symptoms usually last until about 15-20 minutes into the message, when I’ve expended enough adrenaline that my body goes back to normal. The first part of any message is excruciatingly painful to me.
My most common reaction to this experience is an absolute sense of irrational panic. It’s as scary as hanging off a skyscraper and holding on with just a single finger. It’s absolutely terrifying!
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:3, “When I came to you, I was weak. I was afraid and very nervous” (GW). I understand what Paul is saying—I experience it every time I preach.
This condition has been a thorn in my flesh for my entire ministry. Most preachers and other public speakers will tell you that adrenaline is their best friend. Preachers who don’t have adrenaline are boring! You won’t make it in preaching without adrenaline. I’ve leaned on adrenaline to preach multiple services every week for decades. Instead of helping me, adrenaline makes me absolutely miserable. What every preacher needs for an effective sermon is like poison to my body.
Many people ask me whether I get prideful when preaching to so many people each week. Honestly, pride is the last thing on my mind when I preach. I’m usually thinking, “God, just get me through this one more time.” If I wasn’t convinced that God had called me and gifted me to preach, I would have found a whole lot easier way to make a living a long time ago.
I keep doing it in spite of the pain because I know God wants me to do it and he’s called me to do it. I’ve been in ministry for almost 50 years, and I’ve done everything possible to deal with my condition: I’ve prayed about this every day of my life, I’ve fasted for long periods of time, I’ve seen the best doctors and counselors, and I’ve read the best books.
God has not chosen—although I will keep praying to that end—to take this weakness away.
Prayer does dramatically limit the symptoms of my disorder. God used this issue to help Saddleback become a praying church. I wouldn’t think of preaching without having my prayer team praying for me during the message. They pray for me during each service.
What’s the lesson?
God uses weak people! God will use you, too. He won’t use you in spite of your weakness—he’ll use you because of it.
Prepare to be used by God by being honest about your weaknesses today.
Humility amazes people. Thank you for being humble!! Love you :)
Thanking God for Rick. Thank you very much for sharing, Rick. Now I know how to pray for you.
Am new here but interested in what I read and I have lots of things I need to get help with
This is what I read just before facing my fear of public praying again. Our Pastor was hoping that I would pray up front with a microphone. All I could think of was how my brain and my mouth don’t work together under stress. My stomach started gurgling and butterflies started rolling around in there. So I tried to get my mind off of the fear by checking my email and here was this story. Talk about God’s timing being perfect. Thank you so much. It helps.
Thank you for sharing your weakness. I was aware that you had a problem, because I am a volunteer worship leader at Brookdale and Del Obispo Terrace in San Juan Capistrano. I am not a member of Saddleback, but I love sharing music with the clients at these two places. Although I knew you had a health problem regarding a brain issue, but had no idea what it was. I am so glad to know what it is. I now know how to pray for you. God bless you for doing God’s work in spite of your symptoms.
May God Bless Pastor Rick; you changed my life for better!
I’m heartfully grateful for this message on weakness, because this is my serious issue. I’ve been praying for spiritual strength, JESUS help me with my PRAYER life, because I need to be consistent with my prayer life and that’s where my weakness is. After praying to be consistent, then I can feel weak, but I still talk to GOD thanking HIM because I’m ever so so grateful, especially to be among the living today, GOD brought me through a 100% massive heart attack, duration time of an hour and half. Whoever survived a massive heart attack and lived to tell about it? HALLELUJAH! I’m the “walking goodness of GOD” can’t praise GOD enough, can’t tell about HIM enough, there’s no word enough in my spirit and OUR GOD/YESHUA is beyond words. May GOD, for JESUS sake BLESS me with strength to be consistent with my prayer life, in YESHUA’S name. Pastor Rick, praise GOD for you! This article on weakness really hit me that I had to respond, which I don’t really do for fear, you know when you’re alone, thinking am I doing the right thing, or how will I be criticize? But GOD.
God bless you Rick! I love and appreciate that you have shared this with us. I find comfort and encouragement in your story. Only a Loving, Powerful, Amazing God, like ours, can give someone strength to persevere like you have. I too, deal with crippling anxiety at certain times. I work with the public and at times it’s physically impossible to take care of their needs. But, what is physically impossible, is not impossible for my God. He is with me and gives me the confidence and courage to persevere. His presence is so powerful throughout my day, blessing me with success and renewed faith. I am so in love with HIM!
I saw a presentation recently, “A Journey to the Potter’s House”. In it the presenter teaches, through sculpting pottery, that all of our cracks, our imperfections, are what God uses to strengthen others. In one of his presentations, he ends with a story about a pot that was so broken that it seemed impossible that it would be of any use to anyone. As the Potter lovingly puts the pot back together, she is placed at the top of a hill. Once filled with water, all of her imperfections allow water to seep down the hill and water all below her causing abundant growth and blessing.
I believe this is how God is using you!
I will pray for you
With love in Christ,
Joni
Awesome