The Pace

Some days are maxed out and others are slow and steady. And, ideally, there are days where we can unplug and be truly refreshed. Whether the days are fast and furious or calm and relaxing, God’s grace can carry us through.

We all have more influence over the pace of our days than we may want to admit. We agree to things and sometimes those things have demands on our time and then the pace of our day intensifies.

It is ok to take time to consider or reconsider where we are. Is the path we are on going to take us where we want to be? Do we need to step aside or step away from something? Or is God calling to move forward, albeit imperfectly, on a path? Does He work in spite of our shortcomings?

Of course He does. Our shortcomings are nothing new to Him.

God knows we have a certain capacity for any number of things. And His power is made perfect in our weakness. We don’t (and can’t) operate at 110% all the time in every capacity. It’s not realistic. So, while we may be letting ourselves down by not “keeping the pace” that we have set for ourselves in terms of whatever goal we have set, remember that it is more important to “keep the grace” that He holds for us.

The grace that God gives is enough for us and for those around us.

We need to trust His Word.

My grace is sufficient for you. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Thank you, Steve!

PrayerPoint ~ Good Enough ~ March 25

I do value a job well done, really, I do. But there are times when you do what you need to do to get by–and it simply isn’t your best work. Really, if I did my best work for every meal for every project, for every anything, I would be exhausted. Honestly, I am tired now and I know I am not giving my best effort.

What about when my best effort isn’t good enough? Or even a fair effort isn’t acceptable to the eyes that judge it. Am I a failure then?

Our son is in his 4th Semester of Spanish at the college level. It has been grueling to say the least. He has been frustrated, nauseated, and has put a lot of effort into it. The grades are low at the end of the semester. He literally just squeaks by. He cannot wait to get past this requirement (for his history major). He has had a tutor since Spanish II and just has a difficult time getting above a D on tests. But it looks like he has turned a corner because he earned a 100% and a 102% on his last two quizzes. We are all very excited. Quite frankly, a C would have been great so we are super excited and yet holding our breath…has he finally broken through the barrier? We pray so.

We are thankful for his persistence because if there was something he has wanted to quit 100 times, this Spanish thing would be it. We are thankful for the requirement for 4 years of a foreign language because it made him fight for his major–and he consider changing it many times. We are thankful he was open to every possible mode of assistance available to him. He works hard for his grade–and it is still low most of the time. I never took a foreign language in college so I can’t say I wouldn’t be having the same problem. I am learning Hungarian on the side and it isn’t very easy for me, but I am doing it because I want to so it really isn’t the same.

Is there an area of your life where you can accept only being “good enough”? House cleaning? Physical appearance? Job performance? 401K earnings? Grades? Parenting?

Recognize and give thanks for your limitations–it gives God a great opportunity to fill in the gaps. If we are all about achieving and everything we touch seems to turn to gold then we are only setting ourselves up for the idea that we are the ones accomplishing everything. As we continue to achieve, it is easy to forget who allowed us the intelligence, connections, or the provisions for our success.

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 NIV

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for working through me whether through my strengths or my weaknesses. Help me to recognize it is all Your work through me. Thank you for loving me when I fail. In Jesus’ Name…

May God work in and through your week!

Liz

PrayerPoints ~ Weakness ~ March 12

Today’s PrayerPoint ~ Weakness

Have you a weakness, hardship, persecution, difficulty? Join the club. Even though you might be inclined to look around and presume everyone but you has it all together, it just isn’t so. When it comes right down to it, everyone seems so busy working to look as if they don’t have any “issues”. And while I think I have insight into my issues, I kind of wonder what others think my issues are. Scratch that. That insight from a number of people might be enough to break my heart. Although, if you were my friend, it would be comforting to know you knew my “issues” and loved me anyway.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul tells us this:

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

When I have strength in a certain area it is easy for me to fall into the trap of thinking I am doing something. Where I am weak and dependent on God then there is no question Who is doing the work. In areas of strength, it is easy to forget where the strength came from.

Being honest and transparent about your weaknesses is risky business. When you are able to lay it all out there for someone to see and they have the grace and mercy to love you in spite of that weakness then you know you have a friend. You might even find they love you even more because of that weakness and the fact you were willing to be honest and transparent.

When we are transparent about our lives, others can see God working in and through us. In our weakness, God gives us His strength and Christ’s power rests on us.

I’ll never get by living on my own ability–Amen!

Liz