We have a responsibility to take care of our family and those God has entrusted to us, and to accomplish the things he has given us to do. And many days we are taken beyond our edge – completely overwhelmed and unable to do what needs to be done in our strength alone. It’s clear in these moments that we must be fueled by God’s grace to keep showing up and playing the part that’s ours to play.
Perhaps most days we don’t think about our utter dependence on God. And, to be fair, he has crowned us with the dignity of causation – the ability to make things happen. And part of our maturity is faithfully using our strength to come through on behalf of others. We’re being passive and ineffective when we simply wait on things to be done for us.
At the same time, we’re only empowered to consistently offer our strength through God’s grace. And we become keenly aware of this in those moments in which we’re totally beyond ourselves and what we can do in our natural strength alone.
This happens, for example, after a long day at work and our wife, or maybe our kids, still require our loving presence and words of life. We know on our own we have nothing left to give, but as we open to receive God’s grace he fuels our endurance and gives us what we need in that moment.
This is often the case with forgiveness as well. Many times there’s nothing in our natural selves that wants to or even feels capable of forgiving the deep wounds caused by others. But even here God’s grace gives us what we need to practice forgiveness and to live in freedom.
Time and again God reminds us we cannot do life without him. In fact, we only frustrate ourselves and disappoint those around us when we try.
Your strength can only take you so far and will leave you empty in the end. Learn to be fueled by God’s grace to accomplish all he has given you to do.
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
