When you routinely exercise there are different levels of weakness. At first, you can barely do anything. But then that becomes easy and there’s a new level of weakness you reach. The more strength you gain the more your level of weakness will rise, meaning, you discover you’re weak in ways you can only know by growing stronger.

So it is in our walk with Christ, in our growth in Christlikeness.

Whatever temptations, weaknesses, failures, brokenness, messed-up-ness you’re experiencing—it may be the result not of a little growth in Christlikeness but of more growth than you realize. Don’t be discouraged and don’t despair; don’t give in and don’t give up.

As we daily offer ourselves up to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2), we are daily being trained in/by God’s righteousness (Hebrews 12:2). This means areas of weakness will be exposed as we grow stronger. In fact, to grow stronger we must be willing to uncover those areas ourselves we feel embarrassed or ashamed by. Otherwise, we will actually grow weaker out of weakness and not out of strength. Both our physical and spiritual health is either built up or broken down overtime.

So, we must become vulnerable, but not out of fear in the presence of someone who will reject, embarrass or shame us. Rather, we come to Jesus, who loved us while we were yet sinners and loves us while we yet sin. He saved us and he welcomed us, he knows us and he leads us,  he watches over us and he calls us, he forgives us and he transforms us.

At every level of our weakness, then, he strengthens us by his grace. And at every level of our strength, he energizes us by his grace. “(F)or it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13; see also 1 Corinthians 15:10 and 2 Corinthians 12:9)