“My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV.
The well-known quote,” to be or not to be: that is the question, “written by William Shakespeare, addresses how painful and challenging life is, how death might be preferable, even death by suicide. His only outstanding concern is for the hereafter and its uncertainty. There is a wrestling with the age-old questions that have plagued humankind. What is the point? Why live? Even wise Solomon addresses this question in the book of Ecclesiastes, in the Bible.
The question is not simply “to be or not to be,” for indeed, we are, so the question seems redundant. A better question perhaps is, “How then should we live?”
For those of us who have Jesus as saviour and Lord, we understand we do not merely live for ourselves. We learn that our purpose is tied to the purposes of God. Yet, we still face the wrestling that is common to man. Even the Apostle Paul wrestled with the complexities of pain and suffering. In Corinthians, Paul writes, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.” 2 Corinthians 1:8,9 NIV. Wow! The great Apostle Paul, who had the outstanding Damascus road experience of hearing Jesus speak to him, was still brought to the breaking point.
However, Paul did not finish his writing on a note of despair. He continues to write, ” But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us.” 2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV
In the above Scripture of 2 Corinthians 12, Paul penned those words after complaining to God. He had pleaded with God three times to have a torment removed, but God’s answer was no, and then He explained why. That the grace we receive “in Christ is sufficient for all we are to experience here on earth“. Aren’t you glad God didn’t just say “no” without an explanation? I am!
Often, when we are tempted to despair, we believe the lie that we are alone in our difficulties, but this is not so. Jesus sent Holy Spirit to be with us and within us forever, to help us overcome life’s difficulties.
Not many of us enjoy being weak, but we must recognise this is a fact of life. Babies come into the world, weak little beings, totally dependent on others to survive. We do not look at them with an attitude that they should be able to care for themselves. That would be foolish, but somehow, as we grow older, we believe that we are to be self-supporting, self-reliant, self-sufficient, self, self, self….. Independent selves. Regardless of how self-sufficient we may be, eventually, we will need help, and that is why we are to be interdependent. Most people live (nowadays) to what is called a good age into their 70th year and more prolonged. If you are 70, you know there are things you can no longer do that you once did. Strength has dissipated, and energy levels are not the same as in your 20’s or 30’s. But, we can celebrate on a few fronts:
1. God is able to do the work impossible 2. God is able to accomplish what we cannot 3. God will not abandon us because we are “unable” but rather has DIVINE PITY on all He has made. 4. God knows us better than we know ourselves and knows better what we need 6. God has called us to love one another and help carry one another’s burdens 7. God’s grace is sufficient for all who call upon the Name of the LORD. Hallelujah!
We started with a question; let’s end with the answer.
The GREAT I AM made all mankind,
In His image, He created them;
Male and female to fill the earth,
Until Jesus returns, again.
Until He comes or calls us home,
As aliens on the earth we roam,
We fix our eyes on Christ alone
And love to make Him known.
We belong to Jesus, Saviour, Lord
In Glory He has a treasure stored,
For all who find their sufficiency
“In Him” Who died on Calvary.
Let’s not despair when times are tough,
God said His grace would be enough,
Rely on Him instead of self
To discover Father’s eternal health.
“FATHER GOD, in Jesus is our sufficiency for all YOU call us to be and do. May we look first to YOU for help, instead of to others or ourselves. Holy Spirit, have YOUR WAY in us, first to be, then to do. Amen”
