Remember when people used to say that if you played a record backwards, you could hear secret messages? As weird as that sounds, I think there’s something similar happening in our lives.
We’ve picked up hidden tracks—messages about strength, self-reliance, and protection—that have quietly embedded themselves into the soundtrack of our hearts. We’ve internalized them. And maybe… we’re not hearing them the way God intended.
Maybe we’ve got it all backwards.
Hidden Tracks in 2 Corinthians
The Apostle Paul, in his deeply personal letter to the church in Corinth, uncovers these backwards tracks. He challenges how people perceive strength, leadership, and what it means to truly follow Jesus. Let’s look at just two examples:
- Hidden Track 1: “If I look strong, I am strong.”
Paul calls them out plainly: “You are judging by appearances.” — 2 Corinthians 10:7
God’s truth: Real strength is often hidden in weakness. Don’t be fooled by the surface. - Hidden Track 2: “I’ve got this on my own.”
Instead, Paul says: “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 11:30
God’s truth: Strength isn’t something we manufacture—it’s something we receive by grace.
Different Words, Same Lie
Here’s what’s wild: we fall into this trap from two directions. Sometimes we sound strong. Sometimes we sound weak. But both can be rooted in the same lie—that weakness is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
Let me show you what I mean:
- “I’m mentally and emotionally strong. I don’t need others.”
OR
“I have to be strong because no one else is going to help me.” - “I don’t trust anyone. I have to protect myself.”
OR
“If I don’t protect myself, no one else will.” - “I don’t need people. I can do it on my own.”
OR
“I have no one to rely on. No one cares.”
See it? Different language. Same soundtrack.
We either puff ourselves up to seem strong, or we shrink into blame and hopelessness. But in both cases, we’re avoiding vulnerability—and missing God’s invitation to a better way.
What Kind of Strength Are We Pursuing?
Let’s pause and ask:
Where are we getting our definition of strength?
- Cultural Strength: Image. Control. Self-reliance. Hustle. “I got this.”
- Biblical Strength: Dependence on God. Perseverance through suffering. Humility. Formation into the likeness of Christ.
Jesus invites us to trade our backwards tracks for the true hidden sidewalk—the narrow, beautiful path of grace.
“My Grace Is Sufficient”
We love the verse:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. — 2 Corinthians 12:9
But we often stop at the first part:
- Be weak? Okay.
- Boast in it? Alright, I’ll try.
Yet we don’t really know how. Instead of embracing weakness with joy and surrender, we slide into self-pity. We compare. We complain. We focus on what we don’t have or can’t do.
But look at Paul. He didn’t deny his qualifications:
“I am not in the least inferior to the ‘super-apostles,’ even though I am nothing.” — 2 Corinthians 12:11
He knew the truth: He wasn’t less, but he also wasn’t the source of his own strength. Christ was.
A Hidden Track I Recently Noticed
Here’s a two-sided hidden track I recently heard in my own life. Maybe you’ve heard it, too:
- When someone offers help: “Nope, I got it.”
- When someone needs help: “Nope, not me.”
Both responses are rooted in the same thing—a refusal to acknowledge weakness. We don’t want to need help. And we’re too busy holding it all together to help others.
But what if the thorn isn’t the problem?
What if God isn’t trying to fix it… but to transform how we see it?
Reflection
So, what if we stopped asking God to take away the thorn—and started asking Him to give us new ears to hear the hidden tracks?
Not the ones we’ve picked up from the world.
But the ones He’s been singing over us all along.
Two Reflective Questions:
- What hidden track about strength are you believing—and how is it shaping your relationships, faith, or emotions?
- What would change if you truly believed that God’s grace is enough in your weakness?
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