A Source of Strength

THIS WEEK I feel weak. I'm feeling weaker and weaker lately. And I'm very glad about it, because I'm learning that it's a good thing. It's probably a problem every follower of Christ faces. We start to despair at the things we cannot change or the questions we cannot answer. Our hearts break for the lost around us. We can be discouraged when our own sins come to light one after the other. Especially since last week, when I watched the Passion of the Christ and I realized that God's love is much greater than I can understand, I do feel weak. When I look at a God who is totally glorious and holy and righteous and yet visits the earth with kindness and humility, to the point of death, I see what that makes me. It makes me someone in need of His grace. It makes me really small and pretty powerless next to a God like that. And it even makes me a little frustrated sometimes that I make so many mistakes, and I have so much more growing and learning left to do, just when I think I'm starting to figure it out. Who is this God, this Servant King? And who am I that He cares so much about me? I'm starting to see that weakness is at the heart of receiving grace. The whole idea of grace is really humbling once you realize who is giving it to us, and how much we need it. You can't receive grace without realizing our weakness, and if you live in grace you're going to see just how big our weakness is, the more you see how big God's grace is. I feel like I'm weak because there are a lot of things I want to see and do, but I don't know how because I can't do it by myself. Things like leading my friends to Christ, or participating in faith healings, or knowing the answers to all the questions I still have, things I don't understand about God. But the more I see how little I can do, the more I realize how much God can do. Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" I read about this God who took an enslaved people out of a mighty nation by cutting a sea in half for them to walk through. A God who sent His words to prophets and chose to do great things through lowly people. A God who became a Man and romantically pursues the souls of the world, having died to crush death and rose to breath new life into us. And I see a God who answers prayers that I forgot I prayed. A God who makes His presence known more to His people when things go wrong than at any other time, so we'll know He never leaves. A God who manifests His strength through our weakness, so we'll know that He alone can save. I sometimes get discouraged because I can't do everything, and I often can't do anything. But I know someone who can. I know I use this verse a lot, but it is a source of strength to me. Sarah has written it on the whiteboard that's behind me right now. 2 Corinthians 12:9 "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." One thing God wants to do in order to make us holy - set apart from the world - is to teach us how much we need Him to make us holy. He uses this to make us different. He shows us that the way to salvation and wisdom and truth is not in ourselves, but in Him. The way to solve life's problems, to have strength and purpose, is in Him. He has big dreams and He will include us in making them come true. Grace overflows from the life of someone who realizes that God does not need his help saving the world, but He has a job for him to do before he comes home. Seeing more of my weakness, all the things I can't do, and don't know, and won't accept, is helping me rely on God's strength. I'm seeing Him bring people close to His heart and reveal Himself to us unmistakeably. He makes life good. Getting to follow Him and abide with Him, now and forever, is a blessing and a joy. He knows He isn't saving angels. He's saving fallen creatures that actually need saving. Our weakness is not a failure, and our inability is actually an advantage. When we see our weakness, we will see God's strength. Because of this we will watch Him come through in our lives and our friends' lives - for health, security, faith, fulfillment, everything we need according to His wisdom, because He is a good God, and He is strong. John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing."