Saturday, September 6, 2008

Strength for ALL things

Most believers are familiar with the verse in the Bible that says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". I like the amplified version that says: " I have strength for ALL things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]." The more people I meet along life's path and say to me "how do you do it" - I wonder if people really read the Bible and not only read it but do we really believe what it says. No, it's not always easy or fun raising twins and a special needs son who has many needs. The promise, the good, the joy always out weigh the challenges. I've tried to figure out why pity (not empathy but pity) from others bothers me so bad and I think that verse in Philippians 4:13 is the root. It's almost offensive that people look at each others life circumstances and compare and wonder "how do they do it". In the context of a follower of Christ how does the military family say goodbye to the solider, how does a spouse cope with the loss of their love, how does a family find hope in the midst of a cancer diagnosis, how does one over come failure, how can someone look beyond the mountain of debt? No matter what the trial, believers have been given a promise. The promise is strength for ALL things only by Christ who empowers us. I take this promise to heart every day I get up and change a feeding tube, lift and haul a heavy wheelchair, carpool multiple children around, help my husband when it's not convenient, answer the same six year old question for the hundredth time that day and so on....I don't pride myself in being independent, but I do realize that the same power that rose Christ from the dead lives in me so why wouldn't I be able to do what needs to be done for my family no matter how challenging the task. Christ in me, the hope of Glory. Then there is the benefit we have of having a supernatural or eternal mindset about the things we face day to day here on earth...Yes Lord remind me that when I turn my eyes on You the things of this world grow strangely dim in the LIGHT of your Mercy and Grace.