Funny how during that time I've had great days and days where I still wrestle and battle with food, health, loving myself, choices. And all the while I've tried to do so much on my own strength. And for what? So I could say, "Look at me! I have amazing self-discipline! I am a ROCK! I am so strong!"
The truth is, every. single. time. I try to do ANYTHING on my own strength, I fail. And epically, I must say.
When will I learn?
Perfection is the Enemy.
Grace is the Gift.
When will I learn that doing life in my own strength then becomes a life about me?
And the only time "A Life All About Me" is acceptable is when a person hasn't received God's gracious love and forgiveness through what Christ did for us on the cross.
Yes, I said it. Selfishness is expected from anyone who does not follow Christ.
However, selflessness or dying to self, is counter cultural, exactly what is meant to come with a life surrendered and laid down to God's bigger picture. So, selfishness as a Christ-follower is unacceptable.
I'm grateful that each time I fall short and have lost sight, God is gracious. And, He receives my heart again and again and again.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
When God made us in His image, we were perfect.
Since the Fall of man, we lost that luxury. However, Satan's lies and relentless pursuit of us here on earth has been to deceive us that our goal is to be perfect in all things, or in anything.
Like Paul says above to the Corinthians, "Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - (self) abuse, (colossal binge eating) accidents, (failure) opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become!" (emphasis mine)
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