My grace is Sufficient!

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

Most of us have a festering sore (a thorn in the flesh) that never seems to heal and the more we pay it mind the more it looks to live. Have you ever wonder why? I do constantly ponder the area I am weakest and long for the day when I will finally be rid of the way I seemed to be lured by the very thing I hate the most.

Even Paul had this to say about the boast to his life, but first let us think about this man’s achievements and how we should view him in our own minds because of what he achieved of Christ behalf. There was no man as committed to the cause of Christianity, no man as disciplined and no man as persecuted or so it would seem. We as fellow Christians can only look on in admiration when we look on his example; “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” (Corinthians 11:23-28) 

It would appear that Paul seemed to suffer from anxiety, he so fear for the lasting work of his ministry; I would suggest that this may have been his greatest distress. The thought of his hard work in Christ being hindered worried him tremendously. It was as if that type of thought would not leave him, “there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” I wonder could this have had anything to do with the “thorn in his flesh”. It no doubt it had its part to play.

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 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. 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.” For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Corinthians 12:2-10)

It is imperative we pay heed to the warning I now put out there, whether I have consciously or sub-consciously looked for leeway with this portion of scripture as a license to excuse my sin, one thing I know for sure, grace is available to all of God’s children to help us handle weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities but not an excuse to reason away our sin, whatever it may be.

Grace is available to help us walk in the “good works” prepare for us before time began. What then are those good works and how do we recognise them? That is an easy answer; the fruit of the Spirit proves them, which are; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22-24)

Therefore it is reasonable to have hardship in our lives and this is God’s design to help us look to Him for all our needs, in fact it is often the hardship that helps us fall to our knees as we cry out to Him. Without them we become complacent, lukewarm and of no use to anybody let alone God. Some hardships in our lives will remain with us until we die, but let us not use grace as a licence to habitually sin. Let me give an example I once heard someone say; “It is not my fault I have a European temper I was born like that!” You alone must look into your own hearts and see where you lack; you stand alone as do I before God almighty as nothing is hidden from Him. Forgive me Father God as I have been guilty of this type of reasoning and I thank you for revealing it to me, help me put off the old and to put on the new, to walk in Christ’s victories, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone