Thursday, March 31, 2011
My grace is sufficient
Last Sunday, Pastor Matt encouraged us with the story of the feeding of the 5000. He told us that God can use us for His highest and greatest purpose when we are at our lowest and weakest moments. One of the verses he referenced was 2 Corinthians 12:9, "...my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness..."
But do we really believe this to be true? And if it's not true, do we really have any hope at all? The fact of the matter is that we all get weighed down by a plethora of weaknesses. My struggles happen to be depression and doubt, along with anxiety and anger. Maybe your entanglements have more to do with self esteem issues, jealousy, lust, or greed.
Where do we go if we don't believe this verse to be true? The answer is simple: we must fall on our knees. God is good at wrestling. Remember his match with Jacob thousands of years ago? He can take you on as well. So, if you are doubting that HIS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS, then challenge the Lord! Ask him, "Are you sure Lord?" Let Him defend Himself because I'm certain He will show up!
For starters, think about where you're weak and how the Lord has already shown up. For me with my depression, I sometimes wonder why the Lord won't just remove this thorn from my flesh. And then I start to think through all of the ways that He has blessed me: my legs and arms, my breath, my faithful husband, my healthy and energetic children, etc. The list starts to get so long that I can't help but lose sight of the darkness.
Of course our weaknesses seem overwhelming; often times they simply are too much for us to handle. And that's why we need to drop to our knees, place our face down upon the ground if necessary, and submit it all to the Lord. When we SURRENDER, He hears our cries and He begins to transform us into His perfect image, where truth and love reign supreme. During the process of transformation, HIS GRACE BECOMES SUFFICIENT FOR US AS HIS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.
It doesn't happen over night. We must wait patiently for the Holy Spirit to give us the faith to see and to believe. So, while we wait, let's remember that, "...our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).
Since we live in an imperfect and evil world where Satan still has some power over evil and sin, let's remember to "...put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition...take up the shield of faith. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God" (from verses 13-17).
If you still don't believe that HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR HIS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS, don't worry! I'm not here to judge you. It's frequently hard for me to grasp its veracity too. But we can hold each other up and cling to God's word as we go through this journey together, one day at a time. Keep the faith fellow believers. Life on earth is hard, but remember that heaven will be amazing!
But do we really believe this to be true? And if it's not true, do we really have any hope at all? The fact of the matter is that we all get weighed down by a plethora of weaknesses. My struggles happen to be depression and doubt, along with anxiety and anger. Maybe your entanglements have more to do with self esteem issues, jealousy, lust, or greed.
Where do we go if we don't believe this verse to be true? The answer is simple: we must fall on our knees. God is good at wrestling. Remember his match with Jacob thousands of years ago? He can take you on as well. So, if you are doubting that HIS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS, then challenge the Lord! Ask him, "Are you sure Lord?" Let Him defend Himself because I'm certain He will show up!
For starters, think about where you're weak and how the Lord has already shown up. For me with my depression, I sometimes wonder why the Lord won't just remove this thorn from my flesh. And then I start to think through all of the ways that He has blessed me: my legs and arms, my breath, my faithful husband, my healthy and energetic children, etc. The list starts to get so long that I can't help but lose sight of the darkness.
Of course our weaknesses seem overwhelming; often times they simply are too much for us to handle. And that's why we need to drop to our knees, place our face down upon the ground if necessary, and submit it all to the Lord. When we SURRENDER, He hears our cries and He begins to transform us into His perfect image, where truth and love reign supreme. During the process of transformation, HIS GRACE BECOMES SUFFICIENT FOR US AS HIS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.
It doesn't happen over night. We must wait patiently for the Holy Spirit to give us the faith to see and to believe. So, while we wait, let's remember that, "...our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).
Since we live in an imperfect and evil world where Satan still has some power over evil and sin, let's remember to "...put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition...take up the shield of faith. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God" (from verses 13-17).
If you still don't believe that HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR HIS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS, don't worry! I'm not here to judge you. It's frequently hard for me to grasp its veracity too. But we can hold each other up and cling to God's word as we go through this journey together, one day at a time. Keep the faith fellow believers. Life on earth is hard, but remember that heaven will be amazing!
Labels: Bible, encouragement, grace
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