Sometimes our circumstances in life are very difficult. It seems that everything piles up and falls on us all at once, making us believe that everything and everyone is against us. When this happens, we can fail in our commitment to Christian ideals and behave in a less than Christ-like fashion.
At those times, no matter what we have declared we are, we find that our strength is small. We are not all that we thought were were, would be, or even should be. We have fallen flat, and our face is on the pavement.
Here is a truth,
God is not surprised
Here is another truth,
God does not judge your failure harshly
Our world is a tough place, and there are many pressures on us. Though our heart is to do good and be strong, sometimes that is just not humanly possible. We “talk” a good game, stating this and that about how we believe and will act in a time of adversity, but when the time comes to demonstrate our faith, we fail.
The truth is, though, that without God we are all failures. No one is strong enough to face the devil alone and win. Any time we do the impossible, it is God being strong in us and not our frail human nature winning the day.
It’s just part of the dance
Yes, triumph is the preferred outcome to any struggle. However, if you do stumble, just know it’s part of the dance. Be kind to yourself and have mercy for yourself, because God already does. Jesus Christ died so that you might live in spite of your mistakes, and the one you just made is simply another one already covered by God’s grace.
Though you may have found that your strength is small, don’t worry about it. Get up, dust yourself off, and thank your Father for being merciful. Allow His strength to be your strength and simply go on and do better through Him.
Blessings,
Michael
Spot on Michael!,
Decades ago when I was a simple Southern Baptist, I came to the conclusion that much of the troubles Christians have are due to them not grasping exactly who they are in Christ.
Being a picker and a grinner (at the same time), I have a tendency to make a mistake now and again on the rhythm guitar whilst belting out a song. I cover guitar playing mistakes the best I can by usually utilizing a “rake” technique (just let your mit lay on all the strings, making them rather “dead”, and go to work with that pick to make the rhythm continuous). I’ve heard musical purists criticize using a “rake” technique if it is not a part of the original song, but they are simpletons that don’t realize no one can always play perfectly. This is a fallen world . If there’s a Cardinal Sin in a music performance, it’s stopping the song short because of a mistake. I can remember more than one time I have started a song on stage and it was horrific, but keep pounding away and get all the other players on time and in key and finish the song nicely, like you know what you are doing!
If you want an example of “raking”, Stevie Ray Vaughan was pretty much the king of rakers. Pull up Cold Shot on YouTube and listen for the dead strings being played (you could almost say strummed) on the off beats, utilizing the pick with an upward moving wrist and you know of what I speak.
Your post is excellent ????
Steve Borg
Dear Steven,
I like the analogy. Being a bit of a guitar player myself, I understand what you mean. In the end, it is the song that we play in its entirety that is what is important and how much of God’s true will shines through.
Thanks for the comment, I think it really enhances the essay.
Big hugs and lots of love,
Michael
I really have felt the Spirit emphasizing “time is short, there’s work to do, so accept the forgiveness that comes with Christ and come back out of that neutral corner swinging.”. Some of us get hung up on sins we have committed for far too long and neglect the work God wants us to do in the present. Attending a church that regularly emphasizes fire and brim Stone in sermons to those who are already saved isn’t helping. The structure of the churches of the world is, as we say in New Mexico, no bueno, but that’s a topic for a whole ‘nuther workshop.
Dear Steven,
It does seem like things are changing drastically and quick. Let us keep our eyes focused on Jesus and our hands busy with the things He leads us to do while preparing our hearts for the days to come.
Big hugs and lots of love,
Michael