Recognizing our Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And He (God) has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Our Friday evening small group Bible Study continues looking at the area of difficulties in the world for the Christian walk that is sometimes passed over, but brings understand and balance in the life that trusts in God Almighty. The word grace is the Greek word χάρις “charis”, means unearned merit or favor. We are saved by grace, but we also live by grace. God divinely enables us with a strength that is continually sufficient to overcome our weaknesses. All are weak in contrast to the greatness and power found in God. In His grace we receive the power to do what we cannot do ourselves. It is a gift of God, but first we must recognize our weakness, submit ourselves to God, and put our trust in Him. Difficulties come to everyone sometime, but we don’t merely survive our sufferings. We can live victoriously in the midst of trials and difficult circumstances. We persevere in Christ.

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long;  we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We do not trust in ourself; we trust in God, our Providence. We may be afflicted with outward conflicts and inward fears, yet are comforted by God and by the people of God. We recognize that we are humble weak vessels (everyone is), whose power is from God and not from within ourself. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, and the key to victory is that we overwhelmingly conquer through Jesus Christ. Have you and I ever been overwhelmed by the challenges and difficulties of life or have to deal with conflicts and fears? When conflicts arise and life’s pressures crop up, do we run the other way? Do we take matters into our own hands and try to solve them on our own, with our power and intellect? Or will we take it before the Lord, steadfast in faith, and trust God to be our strength?  In God We Trust.

In Christ, Brian