Growing Weak

A week ago I was at a Bible study going over Ephesians 4. We got to the part where it talks about the gifts given to men, and we conversed about our strengths and weaknesses. Oddly, many people, myself included, seemed to feel more comfortable admitting to weaknesses than talking of strengths. Now, I feel this is natural in that people do not want to be seen as braggarts or boastful. Indeed it is an easy thing to forget that the things we count as strengths are only strong because of God. When this happens we do become boastful, that we, in our own strength, have accomplished, at which time it seems, from my experience, God has a funny habit of humbling and reminding us it is Him who gives us power and strength. So when I see my strengths I ought not shy from them. We ought to announce that God has given us a gift, we should use it as often as is fitting, and always give God the credit for it, thus glorifying Him all the more. Whatever we are good at we are so for a reason, and the end is always to bring Him glory, so we should not shy from admitting we have been given strengths, but we should revel in it and praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow.
Weaknesses, however, are what I want to focus on for a bit. For as much as we should revel in the glory of God as He shines out through our strengths with which He has gifted us, even more so ought we to figure out and admit our shortcomings and weaknesses. Why? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that "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." This he says in response to God's saying "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." So what, then, is the purpose of boasting or indeed even being grateful for our weaknesses? I would say that it is obvious that God is much more glorified in our weaknesses than He is in our given strengths.
I was thinking of this as I was reflecting recently on my time in Turkey. One of the things I learned there is that I do not possess the gift of evangelism. It is not my strength. However I am also aware that not possessing this gift in no way means I am not supposed to do the work of an evangelist. So then, what does this mean? As I was thinking it dawned on me that while I do not have this particular gift, and have admitted it several times, God still used me in that capacity. In fact, as I have come to find as I examine and admit my weaknesses, God does this a lot. He uses us in the areas we are weak, and in doing so, we see that He is the source of all power and all strength and glorify and praise Him all the more. If I do something well that I am strong at there is a chance that the fact I am good at it will make me forget God. That is, that I will become used to being good at something and so not recognize the miracle of God's strength acting through me. But if I know I am weak in an area, and God still chooses to use me in that capacity, then I can see Him doing it, and in acknowledging that He is the source and only reason for any success I am amazed and will praise Him and bring Him glory. God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. His glory and grace are magnified and put on display.
So I think it is a great thing to examine yourself and find the spots where you are both strong and weak. In the strengths acknowledge God's gift and use them to glorify them. In weakness, admit them! Let people know what you are bad at, where you are weak, because God is still going to use us, and if He uses our weaknesses people will see that. They will wonder how you can do something you have said you were no good at. The answer will be evident and it will be God. And He will be glorified.