Sufficient Grace

We often hear and triumphantly quote the passage, “My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness,” (ref. 2 Cor. 12:9). It brings us such comfort and inspiration! Moreover, we love to immediately follow this verse with another familiar passage, “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength,” (Phil. 4:13). Oh the victory and boldness we feel when we state these Scriptures together! We are boasting that God’s grace, which we have already defined as His empowerment for us to do what we could not do on our own (see blog entry “The Worst of Times are the Best of Times” Oct. 18, 2008), is given to us to do, accomplish, achieve, endure, etc. anything that may come in our way! We've got what it takes, and we can do it all!...at least, this is our most common interpretation of these passages.

But the Lord showed me something recently, which takes these verses to a different level of understanding. True, when we have responsibilities to meet, trials to endure, obstacles to overcome, and no human resources (from ourselves or from others) to do so, we must cling to God, who will strengthen us to walk out what He’s placed before us. But that’s the key: He gives us grace to accomplish what He’s placed in front of us to accomplish. Thus, the question is, then, what is it that He has placed before us?

Have you ever come to a point in your life, in which you are “burning out,” exhausted in more ways than one, “burning the candle at both ends,” literally feeling like a hairline piece of thread ready to break, yet all the while claiming, “His grace is sufficient”? Many, if not all, of us have been in this place at one point in our lives, if not quite often. And I wouldn’t doubt that some of you may be feeling this way right now, especially after the holidays, correct? Between last minute Christmas shopping, wrapping, decorations, grocery store runs, cooking, cleaning the house for family, not to mention any work responsibilities, Christmas parties and events (some you might have even hosted or been apart of), traveling, family reunions (and all the stress that those entails)…(deep breath)…then cleaning up after the company leaves, back to shopping – hitting the sales and returning gifts –beginning to prepare for New Year’s activities and/or taking down all the Christmas decorations, and doing everything else imaginable to get the house back in order, the word “exhaustion” merely scrapes the tip of the iceberg on how you are really feeling.

So, is this truly operating in God’s grace? Sure, you were “superman/woman” being able to accomplish (or endure) the festivities and fiasco over the Christmas holidays, but how much of that was operating within the grace of God? Your feelings of exhaustion suggest bare minimum.

When we hear to afore mentioned Scriptures, we immediately assume they infer that we are automatically enabled to do anything and everything that comes in our way, almost as though we place God as a side margin note in our daily planners and schedules, labeling Him as “grace-fuel” for us to complete everything on our calendars. But burnout, exhaustion, stress – these are not the results, which someone would experience operating in the gift of God’s grace; rather, those are the results of operating in works.

“Ok, Jenness, so how do I know the difference? How can I know when I’m operating in grace and when I’m in works?” Good question, and one that I am still learning the answer to myself.

The Lord began to teach me a deeper principle about grace back over the Thanksgiving Holiday. As many of you know, I have not been doing well physically, and, at present, any additional stress, whether good or bad, has to potential to incur detrimental effects on my health. Thanksgiving was no exception. For that day, we (my parents and I) hosted the holiday meal in our home, and invited just three additional loved ones (family and a friend) to join us for the occasion. Unfortunately, what should have been a delightful event, seeing family, getting the house ready, taking part in games and conversation, proved too much for my body to handle. By midmorning, I started to go into an adrenal crisis and was forced to “lock” myself away in my room, away from the noise and energy of Thanksgiving cheer.

While laying in a fetal position on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably (not out of emotional distress, but as an outlet for the physical pressure and pain I was experiencing), unable to move (all muscle strength had left me), I cried out to God, “Lord! I don’t have it (grace)! I can’t leave my room…I can’t even get off the floor…” I was bewildered, frustrated. His grace was “supposed” to be sufficient, so why couldn’t I move? Why was it that I went into an Addisonian crisis, when He was “supposed” to have given me the strength to do what I couldn’t do on my own, such as enjoy company, eat with my family, and celebrate the occasion? Where was His grace?!

As I lay there, the Spirit quietly spoke back the very Scripture I had just launched up to Him in my vexation, “My grace is sufficient for you…” Now, when the Lord repeats anything, it is something important that needs your careful attention…and when He repeats back to you exactly what you told Him, then you REALLY need to listen to what He’s saying! Essentially, He was indicating that I had missed the point of this passage. Then, it clicked! “Jenness, I have given you sufficient grace to do all that I’ve called you to do on this day. If the grace is not there, then I haven’t called you to it. You want My grace to include you being apart of the festivities downstairs; but I have called you to the quietness of your room today. You have sufficient grace to be in Me and rest in your room, where you will experience peace and joy in My presence. This is My grace for you on this day. Do not leave the boundaries of My sufficient grace.” The strength I had for that day was enough to accomplish His “plans” for my Thanksgiving, rather than mine. By remaining in His presence and in quietness for the day, my adrenal crisis subsided, my body calmed down, and I was able to “recoup” from the episode without additional medical attention. However, my adrenal crisis might not have even occurred had I sought Him first on what He had purposed for me to do that day: a missed opportunity I do not intend to miss again.

When the Lord promises sufficient grace, He’s not giving us a “blank check” of energy and resources to accomplish all of our plans and goals. Rather, He’s giving us a specific amount of strength/resources for the task that He has called us to accomplish. You know you are operating within your “budget” of grace when you are walking in peace, in rest, and in joy. What should have been difficult is remarkably easy, and you find yourself operating efficiently and effectively in ways that can only be explained as enabled by God. When you begin to experience the symptoms of burnout, frustration, exhaustion, stress, this is when you have overextended His grace and have stepped into works.

Be assured, God’s grace is sufficient; He will enable and equip you to do what you cannot do, just remember – His grace is budgeted for His plans for you, not yours; "in Him" is where we find sufficient grace.

Disappointed Hope

"Those who hope in Me will never be disappointed." (Isa. 49:23)

Such a wonderful promise; when we trust God and wait for Him, we will never be disappointed! For the believer, this is superb news! Never a disappointment?! How can any Christian be anything but incredulously exuberant with such a promise like that!

But, as you and I know all too well…this doesn’t always seem to be the case, does it? What human being has never EVER been disappointed? What about those times when, you’re in a money crunch, but you’re believing God to work all things out for good, and you have a meeting with your boss. Excited, nervous, but “full of faith,” you walk into that office and think, “Well Lord, this is it. You know I’ve been believing in You to work out my money dilemma. Maybe I’ll be getting a raise, or he’ll give me a bonus, or something. Grant me favor with my boss today.” Your boss has you sit in the chair opposite his desk. As you look at his expression, you immediately realize that this is not the face of a generous promoter, but one of grave crisis intervention. Grim, eyes downcast, he thumbs through what appears to be your file, which he closes, lays resolutely on his desk, and slowly lifts his eyes, looking at you for the first time, and methodically begins the sad monologue of the economic crisis, its affect on the company, the forced layoffs of employees, and how your work, though commendable and an asset to the organization, was no longer needed. With file in hand, you stagger your way out of the office, down the hall, making your way to your car, shocked, perplexed, all the while screaming in your heart, “Lord! Why have You forsaken me?!”

What about the times when you are believing God for a healing for a loved one? The prognosis is grim, the doctors give little hope for recovery, but you believe in a God who makes all things possible! You call up your prayer warriors, send in prayer requests to churches all over town, fasts are initiated, offerings are made in faith for a miracle breakthrough…and the condition worsens and finally, the prognosis proves true, and you lay your beloved to rest in a pillowed coffin. Anger rent with unutterable sorrow wells inside your heart as you ride in the limousine, exiting the cemetery. Your mind is spinning, battered back and forth, like an ocean bobber caught in a hurricane, with a torrent of thoughts, memories, Scriptures, sermons, jostling in your head, and clenching your jaw, vainly attempting to hold back the wave of tears, cry out, “My God, why have You forsaken me?!”

Yes, you and I have all experienced extreme disappointments during our lives; even when we are trusting God to come through, intervene, do the impossible, yet, for reasons we may never know in this life, He says, “No.” So how can it be that those who hope in Him are never disappointed? Is this verse false?

There have been countless times, in which I have prayed and believed God to intervene in numerous difficult situations, in my own life as well as others’, only to be denied my requests and left downcast in bitter disappointment. One time specifically, after my perception of the “worst case scenario” came true, I shut myself in my room, sat angrily at my desk, ripped open my Bible to the above Scripture, and with tears of anger and confusion streaming down my face, defiantly pointed to the verse and told the Lord through sobs,“You said I would NOT be disappointed if I hoped in You! But Lord! That is EXACTLY what I am feeling right now!”

It was then that He revealed to me to root of my disappointment. My hope was not in Him; it was in the result I wanted from Him. I was hoping that God would answer me the way that seemed best to me, and when He did not, my emotions were shattered and my exasperation with Him paramount. The depth of my emotion only revealed the extent, in which I had placed my hope in something other than the Lord.

But this is not God’s best for us, our emotions jolting up and down, peaks and valleys, as we hope and pray for His will to be done in our lives. This is not the faith, to which we are called. The faith that God intends for us to have is a steady, peaceful trust, knowing that whatever the outcome, it is His best and He will work it out for our good. It is a resting place, secure in His character and in His goodness, not placing parameters on how He can answer us in order for us to “feel” happy with His will and with our faith. God never asks us our opinion on His answers; He only asks us to believe in Him, no matter how He answers.

Consider a scenario: how many people prayed the night Jesus went to trial, praying that God would rescue this Good Teacher from the hands of the Pharisees and Romans? And did He? No. The Lord allowed His Son to die on the cross, crucified, a horrific torturous death, for preposterous allegations. The worst possible outcome to the situation came true. But would you, 21st century believer, have wanted Him to have answered those heartfelt prayers of Christ's first century followers any other way? Of course not! Without the death of Christ, there would have been no resurrection of Jesus Christ, no hope of eternal glory or promise of everlasting life. This blog would not exist; you would not know what true joy and peace are, there would be no assurance of being loved by God, or anyone for that matter; there would be no purpose or reason to live. Life would be utterly meaningless! It was because Christ died that we enjoy these blessings! But how could those, who were interceding on Jesus's behalf that night, ever have imagined this glorious result, which would come as a consequence of the Lord’s refusal of their requests?! They couldn't have because the Lord embarked a new era! God's ultimate answer to these prayer requests far surpassed what any human being could have EVER contemplated at that time!

If God can completely change the world with a refusal then, He most certainly can cause similar results with His denials to us now. We may not be able to know or understand the thoughts of our Father when He answers us in ways that seem so wrong, in comparison with our desires. We may even be disappointed with the initial outcome; but if we hope in Him, He will turn the situation around for a good that is far more inconceivably glorious, which we could NEVER have begun to fathom or imagine, and an end that would be thwarted if God answered us "our way."

The word of God is true. If our hope is in Him, we will never be disappointed. And when those feelings of disappointment rise, and your emotions become fractured, take heart. God will not disappoint you when He completes His purpose in your situation; the initial answer may, but His end will not. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever dare to hope, ask, or think. In the end, you will be overwhelmingly grateful He answered in the way that He did.