Grace. We hear about it on Sunday mornings, talk about it at Bible studies, and try to live by it in our daily lives. But sometimes, life gets in the way and prevents us from seeing and knowing the truths Jesus so lovingly told us. We forget to give out that same grace that was lavished upon us. And sometimes, we forget what grace really even means.
My sister picked me up from class and drove me home, and I spent the rest of the day vegging out on the couch and trying to down as much water as humanly possible. While my symptoms usually last from a few minutes to about an hour, this one lasted the better part of the day. In times like those, it's hard for me to comprehend why I have been dealt these cards, so to speak. I need to remember to immediately run to my Father for help, because the truth of my condition is that I cannot just fix it. There is no magic Syncope-Be-Gone medicine. But there is relief of a better kind.
Amidst the problems I was fighting through, a verse was put on my mind. 2 Corinthians 12:9. I grabbed onto that verse and held it close, reciting it over and over as I waited for something to change. But then I thought, why should I struggle so hard to be the strong one? In what way does putting on a strong face, pretending nothing is wrong, help magnify Christ's strength?
Over and over, I heard the voice of the Lord telling me exactly what I needed in that time. My grace is sufficient for you. Chill out, Laurel, I've got this. My power is made perfect in your weakness. Do you understand that?
Like the apostle Paul, sometimes we are given a thorn. This can be literal--a physical illness causing pain--or it can be a number of other things. Emotional turmoil and spiritual warfare, to name a few. We ask for our pain to be taken away, but the answer isn't always yes. Instead, sometimes God tells us simply that He is enough to get us through. No doctor, no medicine, no lifestyle change can take away some of life's pains. Our lives are not about feeling great all the time...they are about relying on Christ. And often times, it is easiest to trust in Him completely when we realize how little we can rely on ourselves.
"Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me." (2 Corinthians 12:8) Paul was suffering, and he asked three times for the Lord to take his suffering away. Yet Christ, while in the Garden of Gethsemane, chose to have the right outlook, despite his pain. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42)
This is the attitude I want to adopt in hard times. Not my will, but Yours be done. God knows infinitely more than I do--I am only a feeble-minded human. In my weakness, His strength is magnified. So if He wants me to walk through life with a thorn in my side, be it literally or metaphorically, how is that a bad thing? It means I get to experience the strength of the Lord in a huge way.
And I would rather have that than have superficial strength any day.
Dictionary.com defines grace as, "a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior...favor shown in granting a delay or temporary immunity."
The Merriam-Webster dictionary, additionally, describes it being, "unmerited divine assistance given humans...a virtue coming from God...a special favor."On Tuesday, I found myself in need of the grace of the Lord. I always need it--but sometimes I don't see that need. I struggle with a condition called Neurocardiogenic syncope, which causes me to be careful in how I live. Usually, I can catch and take care of the symptoms before the downward spiral. Earlier this week, however, I found that all of a sudden, my body was saying loud and clear: PREPARE TO PASS OUT!
My sister picked me up from class and drove me home, and I spent the rest of the day vegging out on the couch and trying to down as much water as humanly possible. While my symptoms usually last from a few minutes to about an hour, this one lasted the better part of the day. In times like those, it's hard for me to comprehend why I have been dealt these cards, so to speak. I need to remember to immediately run to my Father for help, because the truth of my condition is that I cannot just fix it. There is no magic Syncope-Be-Gone medicine. But there is relief of a better kind.
Over and over, I heard the voice of the Lord telling me exactly what I needed in that time. My grace is sufficient for you. Chill out, Laurel, I've got this. My power is made perfect in your weakness. Do you understand that?
Like the apostle Paul, sometimes we are given a thorn. This can be literal--a physical illness causing pain--or it can be a number of other things. Emotional turmoil and spiritual warfare, to name a few. We ask for our pain to be taken away, but the answer isn't always yes. Instead, sometimes God tells us simply that He is enough to get us through. No doctor, no medicine, no lifestyle change can take away some of life's pains. Our lives are not about feeling great all the time...they are about relying on Christ. And often times, it is easiest to trust in Him completely when we realize how little we can rely on ourselves.
"Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me." (2 Corinthians 12:8) Paul was suffering, and he asked three times for the Lord to take his suffering away. Yet Christ, while in the Garden of Gethsemane, chose to have the right outlook, despite his pain. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42)
This is the attitude I want to adopt in hard times. Not my will, but Yours be done. God knows infinitely more than I do--I am only a feeble-minded human. In my weakness, His strength is magnified. So if He wants me to walk through life with a thorn in my side, be it literally or metaphorically, how is that a bad thing? It means I get to experience the strength of the Lord in a huge way.
And I would rather have that than have superficial strength any day.
No comments:
Post a Comment