If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. – 2 Corinthians 11:30
The Apostle Paul had been slandered by some members of the church in Corinth and in writing to them decided to remind them of his credentials as an apostle. Considering his personal history (as an oppressor), I imagine it must have been a reluctant exercise; therefore, when considering his greatest achievements, Paul settled upon an unlikely subject, his weaknesses.
Paul considered his faults "praiseworthy" because they proved the existence of God's power and presence in and through his life. He knew that apart from Christ’s redemptive work, he would be lost. Any authority that Paul might claim to possess in speaking to the church as he did came only as an outcome of grace. His résumé was not littered with his achievements, but rather was a list of the lives changed and churches established by the powerful presence of God as He worked through Paul's unworthy life.
Like Paul, we who serve Christ’s church should never feel the need to justify our ministry before others. If God accomplishes anything through us it is simply a testament to His power for His glory and that is the greatest recommendation we could ever receive.
Grace puts its hand on the boasting mouth, and shuts it once for all. – Charles Spurgeon
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