The Good Gift Of Weakness
Eric schumacker
Our culture deifies strength, and sadly, the church does, too. Who has the most successful ministry, the largest congregation, or the godliest family? Our misplaced faith in human strength is a false hope without a basis in Scripture.
However, a closer look throughout the Bible reveals the central role human frailty plays in the redemption story. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s power is made perfect when people are at their weakest. Far from an undesirable defect, God designed our weakness to draw us closer to Himself.
In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Eric Schumacker shows us how weakness is a main theme throughout Scripture and encourages us to ask the question about every Bible story, “Where is the weakness?” The answer to that question will also showcase our utter dependence on the Lord’s strength. And then, Eric shows how God designed our human frailty to draw us closer to Him in a way that helps us display His perfect strength amid our weakness.
As we learn to accept the good gift of weakness, we will experience true strength—the kind that only comes from a loving and infinitely powerful God.
Eric M. Schumacher is an author, podcaster, and songwriter. He is the author of The Good Gift of Weakness: God’s Strength Made Perfect in the Story of Redemption, Ours: Biblical Comfort for Men Grieving Miscarriage, and the novella My Last Name. With Jessika Sanders, he co-authored In His Hands: Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis. With Elyse Fitzpatrick, he co-authored Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women and Jesus & Gender: Living as Sisters and Brothers in Christ (Award of Merit, 2023 Christianity Today Book Awards). Eric interviews guests on the Nothing is Wasted podcast and hosts the Worthy podcast with Elyse Fitzpatrick.
Eric earned a degree in communications from the University of Northern Iowa and an M.Div. in Biblical and Theological Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Individual Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Eric and his wife Jenny live in Iowa with their five children. He is the Pastoral Ministry Director of the Baptist Convention of Iowa. He is a regular contributor to Common Good magazine.