6-19-2015

 Good Morning All!!

           2 Corinthians 12:9; “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

    “These are the times that try men’s souls.”  That is the opening line of a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine during the Revolutionary War.  It was written at a time of uncertainty during the war.  As you read it, you get the sense of stress that he feels.  This was written during a national emergency when our liberty hung in the balance.  How come, at the end of the day, does it feel like this is the summation of the day?

     Do you have days like that; the ones that really make you stress out?  Granted, it may not be of national importance; but it stills matters to me and it still feels awfully difficult.  Over the last couple of years that I have been taking classes through the seminary I have gotten to know and become friends with some of the other students.  One of the guys who will be ordained in my group is facing a potential transfer which will totally change what he is doing.  Another has lost the financial support of his church to pay for the classes; he took a second job to try and make ends meet.  For them, these are the times that try men’s souls.

    All of us experience those days.  The co-worker that just pushes and pushes our buttons; the child who has moved away and we worry about if they listened to anything we said.  The new in-law who has thrown a monkey wrench into everything; the spouse who doesn’t seem to care anymore tend to cause stress.  We deal with vehicles and equipment that always seems to break down at the most inconvenient time.  We have those days that try our souls.

    One thing that I have noticed on those days is that my greatest source of stress is me.  I am the one who places the deadlines and goals in place.  I am the one who has to do it all, all at once, in the fashion that I decide.  Did you notice these past few sentences; there are a lot of “I’s” in them.  Therein is the trouble.  My focus is inward and I am not listening to the Spirit.  When you have days like this, listen to what Jesus says to us,” My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

     We stress about a lot of things.  We worry ourselves sick about many things that never happen.  Instead of placing our confidence, our faith, in Jesus and his all-powerful grace, we trust in “good old me” and always fall short when I count on “me”.  When we realize that we are weak, so weak that we are totally helpless, completely unable to do anything for our own salvation, we see that all our hope is in Jesus.  That is what it means when Paul writes “my power is made perfect in weakness”.  So don’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders; trust in God and his ever sufficient grace to give you the peace to have God’s holy rest.

     Gracious Lord, we are often anxious and stressed about many things but none are ever important and none ever really matter when we see that all we have and need is from your benevolent hand.  Be with those who are experiencing the pain of stress and anxiety.  Remove this from their hearts and lives and give them the comfort and the certainty of the hope in your salvation.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret