Christ’s Strength Is All We Need
Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. -- 2 Corinthians 12:9
Some days are filled with laughter. My laughter. Because I truly believe if I stopped laughing, I would start crying and never, ever stop. Either that or those guys with the straight-jacket would take me away.
Many people go through seasons where the stress just seems to pile on top of responsibilities that just seem to pile on top of obligations. The juggling act can wear down the strongest among us, of which I am not one.
I do, however, have a special source of strength. Jesus. I just don’t think I could make it without His steady hand through the ongoing storm. I’m not sure how folks who don’t know Him ever survive. I know that I don’t ever want to try.
Sometimes people think that they have no right to be upset or overwhelmed. Life is good. Look around. Everybody is healthy. The bills are paid. There’s a roof over our head and gas in the car’s tank. There’s nothing to complain about. Except maybe the time to enjoy it all.
Because somebody always needs a ride to practice. And the laundry never seems to end. And the boss just added yet another demanding project. Plus there are church commitments and family obligations and, well, you get the picture. Everybody hits this every now and then. There’s just so much to be done and we just can’t do it all alone.
The Apostle Paul had a “thorn in his flesh” that Jesus refused to take away. This man, who, after meeting Jesus, dedicated his life to spreading the gospel, had a problem that Jesus wouldn’t fix. Because if He fixed all our problems, we wouldn’t feel like we needed Him as much as we do.
Christ’s power works best in our weakness. When we rely on His strength, we are strong. When we rely on His wisdom, we follow the right path. When we couldn’t make it through the day without Him, we know who we are and to whom we belong.
Still, I long to be more like Paul. I want to rejoice in the stress that clouds my days. I want to be glad that my weaknesses reflect Christ’s glory to all who might see. And, yes, I want to laugh rather than sink into a mire of depression over things I can neither change nor control.
Some days, some weeks, some seasons of our lives are just hard. It doesn’t have to be for one specific reason. It can just be a accumulation of things. Don’t let those things take away your time with God. Seek His Word. See His guidance. Cry out for His peace. Find joy where
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