April 27, 2018

Jesus Is Enough

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

– 2 Corinthians 12:9

Some days are just hard. I press forward, counting my blessings. Satan rears up in another ugly attack. I am just so tired. Where is God in all this mess?

Do you know what I’m saying? Have you been there? Do you understand about hard days?

Most of us do. I’m not talking about those devastating things like cancer and death and fatal car accidents. I’m not even talking about sudden job loss or a house fire or anything else that is catastrophic.

I’m talking about all those little things that seem to pile up to the point where you are overwhelmed with it all. It’s a stressful job combined with a sick child, added to yard work and grocery shopping and laundry a hundred other things that must be done. You just need a day off from it all. Instead you get something else piled onto your to do list.

I joke that I’ll never again lead a class on Spiritual Warfare. I don’t think I’m joking. I have been under such attack.

I recognize what is happening. I do. But it doesn’t make the journey any less frustrating or painful. I’m ready for some good news but the hard truth is that God didn’t promise good news. Or good times. Or even an easy life. Just the opposite. Jesus said we would have troubles but to take heart because He has overcome it all.

I am not alone. Neither are you. There is a Savior walking right beside us. The world will not defeat us so long as we hold on to the One who rose from the grave. I’m holding on tightly. How about you?

Even in the midst of it all, we see His hand at work. This morning a sweet woman and her two children were rear ended by an 18-wheeler. The impact spun the car around and off the road. They all walked away. A miracle.

We see miracles everyday if only we would open our eyes and our hearts to them. Sometimes it’s just so tough to get past the hard stuff, the aggravations and setbacks, so that we see the good, the blessings, the miracles.

A sweet friend mentioned that one night last week her family didn’t have anything to do. There were no obligations, no little league games or work commitments. They actually were able to stay home, eat dinner as a family and play a board game together. Laughter filled their hearts and she remembered what they miss in all the busyness of everyday life.

God never meant for us to suffer our days away. He didn’t intend for us to get so bogged down in working and striving that we miss the simple pleasures of our days. Life is short. It might not seem that way when we’re young, but age has a way of pointing it out.

Don’t look back and wonder what you missed. Take a moment today to push past all the aggravations and see, know, that Jesus is enough for you. No matter what the day brings, trust that His grace is sufficient to see you through. There is joy all around us. Grab it! Embrace it! Live it!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

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

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Strength Comes From God

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." -- 2 Corinthians 12:10

The Christian radio station I listen to in Birmingham has a praise and worship hour every weekday. Yesterday the main topic seemed to be strength and healing. The DJ who normally does that time slot has been really sick. He's finally out of the hospital but a long way from healed. They still aren't certain what's wrong.

The normal fill-in DJ was home with the flu, though due back today. The late-night DJ was doing what he could. Then the calls started. Prayers for the young wife and mother who had just buried her husband. Prayers for the woman fighting breast cancer. Prayers for the young man in North Carolina who'd just learned that his cancer had spread to other organs and was now terminal. The list went on and on.

The DJ didn't really know what to say. What can anyone say? Why does one person get sick and another one doesn't? Why does a car wreck kill one man and let another one live? Why does one person receive healing while another person goes home far earlier than anyone planned? We don't know. We know God has a plan. We know that somehow we'll get through the tragedy. And we know that one day we'll fully understand.

In the meantime, here we are. Grief stricken. Sick. Exhausted. Dying. Our strength is gone as we lay our burdens at the foot of the cross. We are nothing, totally powerless, as we face incredible darkness. But it is in that moment of surrender, that time when we realize that we can do nothing to change our circumstances, that God's glory truly shines. For it is then that we truly understand that it is only through His power that we gain strength to go on.

Tragedy is sadly part of life in this fallen world. When darkness closes in, call out to the only One who can save you. Reach out and cling to the light. He'll see you through to the other side.