Grace!

(2Corinthians 12:9) “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."”

My life seems to be so full of constant questions, and it can be a bit overwhelming at times. So many thoughts and yet with what appears to be so little victory. There is no doubt, place for all these thoughts, and we are instructed to reason with a sober mind, but I wonder how often we play into the hand of the enemy. The pendulum of reason tends to swing with extremities for so many and I am amongst that number. What child does not want to please his father? Some children are naturally talented on the sports field while others just do not have the gift, but put both on a field and they will each look to shine and win their father’s praise. No, in fact the one with less talent will need his father’s praise even the more!

I so often tend to forget that it is by grace we have been saved through faith, and that is a gift of God. This morning I feel for the fainting warrior, those who lag behind the rest as they struggle to keep pace with the bunch, I am often in that pack, but as soon as I pick up the pace and make my way to the front, it is not long before I once again am humbled and seem to be picking up the rear. I forget that it is by grace that I have been saved! Does this happen to every Christian? Yes it does and it must be part of our experience. Why one may ask? Because it keeps us humble! Some of us probably live most of our lives in a confused state as we often ask the question, why? I must confess that I am one prone to pride and therefore need to be often humbled. But we must not resent this but rather be thankful for it, God is on our side, praise His name!

Let us never forget that it is by grace that we have been saved, and that is a gift of God, not of works lest anyone ends us boasting. It is God’s brilliant design to keep us calling out to Him. Remember the Apostle Paul, probably the greatest of all the Apostles according to the flesh, if there could ever be such a title, we know that there could never be such a designation, but for the sake of this illustration let’s look at his life as our example and we see even through this great man’s example that God sent a messenger of Satan to buffet him; “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.” (2Corinthians 12:7)

I wonder how often we bog ourselves down with our failed lives as Christians. When all it is, is a thorn in the flesh to keep us humble? I suppose it gets tricky if we use it as an excuse to justify sin in our lives. Nevertheless this was what God chose for Paul’s life in this area of his life. We see him wrestling with his own weakness; Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Corinthians 12:8-9) – We must learn to accept the things we cannot change and remember that it is by grace we have been saved through faith and that it is a gift of God. Our persuasion must give place for wanting to live more Godly in Christ and sometimes that means we should stop fighting for the things we cannot change. God give us eyes to see the difference between excusing sin and accepting the fact that we have been saved by grace and it is not about our abilities but the accomplishment of what Christ achieved on that cruel Roman cross as He defeated sin and the devil.

So until tomorrow, with that now in mind; Lord willing, let us move on with yesterday’s blog; finding our place in the body of Christ.

Signing off

Tyrone