His Grace is Sufficient
God wants us to live lives that are fully consumed in serving him. Serving the Lord is the highest calling on each Christian’s life. Although, we must first be complete in Him. Oswald Chambers wrote, "It is never God's will that we should be anything less than absolutely complete in Him." Our service to Christ and others is only enlarged by our relationship with Him.
However, sometimes the cross does get heavy, and COVID-19 sure hasn't helped. Our lives are often full of unrest and complicated situations. It is easy to get weary and worn out. God has called us to peace. He is the God of peace. I have to ask, how often do we settle for unrest? We know that we can live better, but we just struggle to get beyond our molehill of self-pity. From what I have learned in life, our burdens always seem harder to carry than they truly are, when we are dwelling in our molehill. One of the marks of a Christian is the outpouring of joy and love in their lives.
There are two types of burdens.
1) Burdens Meant to be Carried -- Believe it or not, but oftentimes God does want us to carry burdens through life that may seem unpleasant. The unwanted things in life are often the circumstances that will stretch us as Christians. His intentions for us are that, under the weight of the burden we will grow in our faith and our relationship with Him. Remember, Paul asked three times for the "thorn in the flesh" to be removed. Yet, God did not grant him his wish. We may never understand why we were meant to carry it, but God will always mean it for good.
Corrie Ten Boom knew all about suffering and fear, more than I have ever known. She was a Christian watchmaker who aided her family in hiding Jews during World War II. I can't imagine the stress of constantly being searched. The day came that they were eventually caught. Corrie and her sister were sent to a Nazi concentration camp where they were treated terribly. She faced many trials and even faced the loss of her dear sister. When the war came to an end, and Corrie was released (which was a miracle of itself), God's grace brought healing to her soul and body. She found that God's grace is enough in the darkest of times. Through her experience, Corrie was able to touch lives for Christ in remarkable ways.
Paul found this to be true "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Whatever you may be carrying, you can rest assured that Christ will always be by your side helping you. When the weight causes you to stumble, he’ll steady your steps. God will give you the strength and the grace that you need to carry on. His grace is sufficient!
2) Burdens Meant Not to Carry -- We, as humans, can make mountains out of molehills. The devil sends doubts & troubles our ways. *NOTE: Your amount of spirituality will not keep you from “doubting castle”. John the Baptist, the man who prepared the way for the Messiah, got to a place where he asked, "Is this the Messiah or do we look for another?" He lost sight of Christ, because he set his focus on his circumstances. When we get our eyes off us, and on Him, we will find rest.
Even the greatest of saints face dark times. Christ will not forsake us. In fact, He uses these times in our lives to draw us to Himself. Lay your burdens at his feet. He has given you permission in this precious promise, "Cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you."
The Collingsworth Family released a song called, "Altar of Grace."
One of the verses of that song really resonated with me. It goes like this:
Grace is a whisper that's louder than thunder
A promise of peace through the storms that rage
And one day Grace will be Heaven's perfection
Forever and ever we'll sing of His grace
No matter the weight of the burden, we all need time in our lives to rest. It is not considered lazy or selfish to give yourself a break once in a while. Scripture is full of verses of God's promise to provide the rest that we seek Him. He created us to need Him. When we take time for ourselves, God helps us to grow. So the next time you feel tired, remember Matthew 11:28; "Come unto me...and I will give you REST."
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