This
past weekend was a particularly draining experience. We had multiple events,
which overlapped with one another, and which I was expected to have a part.
Each of these events, in themselves, was a positive experience. Each one was
purposeful and touched the lives of specific people. Collectively, they were
overwhelming for me. I came to Sunday morning already drained of energy. As I
sat alone before the first service, I prayed, Lord, you need to speak through
me this morning, because I don’t have much left to give.
Many
people thrive on frenetic activity. They are energized by multiple contacts
with people and multiple involvements, which swirl together in a whirlwind of
activity. I am not one of those people. There was a time this past weekend when
I felt something akin to panic. I needed to just get away from the situation
and be alone. To be honest, I felt a little guilty about that, but I was
getting overwhelmed.
I am
sure that there were times when the Apostle Paul felt overwhelmed by all that
he was involved in. Even though it looks like he fell on the extrovert side of
the personality equation, the weight of his passion for the gospel laid heavy
on this shoulders. He expressed his personal struggle in 2 Corinthians
11:28-29. Besides everything else, I
face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I
do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? I can
honestly say that I know how he felt.
There
came a time when the pressures of life got a little too heavy for Paul. He
referred to it as his torn in the flesh; some obstacle that kept him for
fulfilling his potential, at least that is what he thought. He cried out to God
to take this torn away, but God gave Paul a different answer. To keep me from becoming conceited because
of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my
flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord
to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all
the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That
is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,
in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2
Corinthians 12:7-10
Rather
than taking away the things that Paul saw as a hindrance, God gave Paul the
resources to face the challenge. Throughout his ministry, Paul hung onto the
grace of God as the source of his strength. So much so that in Philippians 4:13
he could state, I can do everything
through him who gives me strength.
There
have been many times that I have prayed for God to just take away the pressure,
the challenge, the stress that I was facing. In each case, God did give me
relief, but not by taking things away. Instead, He gave me a greater awareness
of His presence and His strength. I felt that Sunday morning, as I stepped up onto
the stage to deliver a difficult message, with little energy of my own to
accomplish the task. Into my personal emptiness, God poured His energy and
strength.
We
all face challenges every day. Some are small, small are enormous. If we try to
handle these stressors on our own, we will soon be drained. But we don’t have
to do that. We can lean on the strength of Christ to guide us through. That is
a promise.
John 16:33
"I
have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you
will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
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