August 28, 2016

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." II Corinthians 12:8-10

Have wondered why you don't experience more of God's sufficiency?

Was there ever a time you doubted God's sufficiency for your need?

I'm sure there were times when Paul wondered, but he found out!

I know there were times Abram did, but he found out, too!

Let me share three truths from this Scripture that will give you some hope and confidence in the sufficiency of God.

If you want to experience God's sufficiency learn to face your weakness and honestly admit it.  

When you do that you will gain a new awareness. What is that new awareness?

"God's strength is made perfect in your weakness"!

If you want to try and live by your own strength and wisdom God will let you. 

Abram and Sarai learned that the hard way when they tried to help God fulfill His promise. Sarai gave her servant Hagar to Abram and she gave birth to Ishmael. As a result, Sarai began to despise Hagar and Ishmael became a source of strife and contention.

When Abram faced his weakness, humbled himself and entered into the covenant with God through circumcision he experienced God's power! And he received a name change!

Also, if you want to experience God's sufficiency you must take a new approach.

Not only did Paul and Abraham learn to be aware of their weakness, they learned to embrace it!

This is how it worked. Anytime they found themselves tempted to take pride in one of their successes or strengths instead they chose to focus on a weakness. Changing the focus onto their weakness changed their focus from depending on self to trusting in God! 

They learned to boast about their weaknesses rather than bragging about their strengths! Imagine that!

So, you need a new awareness that God's strength can only be seen through your weakness, you need to take a new approach AND you need a new attitude.

What is the new attitude you need?

You need a circumcision of your heart.

Say what?

The ritual of circumcision which sealed the covenant with God required the cutting away of worthless flesh. Likewise, God calls you to cut away the worthless and sinful fleshly attitudes from your heart. Cut away lust, selfishness, disobedience, pride, self-sufficiency and the like.

When you are willing to cut away the useless flesh from you life it makes room for the Spirit of God to fill you and empower you!

From you death and rot comes life and fruitfulness like Abraham and Sarah became fertile in their old age and brought God's promised child, Isaac, into the world.

When you grow weary of being fruitless, frustrated and futile, God's strength is waiting to fill your weaknesses!