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." -2 Corinthians 12:9
This week marked our first "real" week back to school. It's true that we started a few days prior but this was the first week that resembled what a typical week will look like this semester. In the beginning of the week, I was literally weak. I'm generally not one who loves change (although I recognize that change is inevitable and is really a good thing). At the start of the week, I was struggling a lot and feeling overwhelmed by the demands and stresses of school. I knew all of this was simply due to the fact that I had not established a routine quite yet, however, I was left feeling out of sorts and kind of in a funk ha. Well, God had a plan for this feeling (as He always does) and was using it to remind me of my utter dependence upon Him. This week it was very clear that on my own, I am absolutely nothing but a weak, lost, and sinful being. Without Him, I have no hope, nothing to live for, and nothing to find joy and peace in.
The Gospel demands that we be dependent upon God, just as Jesus lived a life fully dependent upon His Father. Jesus, while on this earth, did not think any thought, speak any words, or perform any action apart from what His Father was thinking, speaking, and doing. Rather than go around claiming that He could do everything, Jesus recognized his utter dependence upon God and said in John 5:19, "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself; he can only do what he see his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." See friends, even our very Savior recognized that He needed our Heavenly Father and was in a completely dependent relationship with Him in which he was constantly seeking to think, speak, and act as He would.
I was reading an article recently in Leslie Ludy's "Set-Apart Girl" magazine (girls, you really should check it out...http://setapartgirl.com/home.html). The article states that "Nothing less than an unbroken relationship of entire reliance upon Jesus Christ makes the victorious Christian life possible." I just love this because it's so true. In John 15:5, Jesus tells his disciples, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." Without Jesus Christ, we are nothing and we can do nothing.
This truth has been made even more real to me recently, as revealed through my relationship with Jeremy. As a small and weak girl, I delight in the strength that Jeremy possesses. I feel safe and secure when he wraps his arms tightly around me and am comforted by his ability to protect me. I depend on his strength and don't walk around resenting his help or trying to prove that I don't need him. Instead, I am joyful in knowing that he will not use his strength to harm me, but only to help me. Likewise, this is true of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We must remember that "Christ's power is made perfect in our weakness" and when we are weak, He is strong! Just as I find security in being held in Jeremy's arms, even more must we find security in knowing that the Maker of the Heavens and the Earth is with us always and He will fight for us! Rather than going around with anxiety and fear over what we lack, we must instead run right into the arms of our King who will certainly give us the strength and grace to carry out His will!
As you go about this day, recognize that you are completely dependent upon Jesus. We must present ourselves as the empty and broken people that we are apart from Him and be joyfully dependent and ceaselessly reliant upon Him. We need Jesus' strength to carry us through; for while we can't, He can!
*Here are a few songs I've found a lot of encouragement from recently. Hope they help you too!
