The secular world defines weakness from several perspectives such as only weak people allow someone to insult them without responding, allow someone to shove them without shoving back, cry instead of "taking it like a man", fail to speak up when they disagree with the boss, etc. Given this definition you might wonder why anyone would celebrate weakness, the answer is really quite simple, it is all in how you define the word.
My redefinition of the word weakness means insults don't trigger my ego, instead they draw my concern for the person doing the insulting. People who get physical in a confrontation are people I need to back away from and do my best to de-escalate rather than engage. Crying is a method of releasing emotion whether joyful or sorrowful; real men cry and so do real women. When it is time to speak up, I don't shy away but I also don't let my emotions rule over me. I speak up when it is appropriate and I do so in a respectful and caring way. What others see as weakness, I redefine as strength.
My faith in Christ has taught me that if we let our emotions rule us, we are in the flesh and often that means out of control. When we are in the spirit, we recognize what God teaches us in his word, specifically that it is in our weakness that we are made strong. Understanding the weaknesses of the flesh, enables us to turn them into strengths. We can then delight in the midst of the insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties of life. For when we are weak, then are we strong. Just a little advice to go!
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV)
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