Oct 16, 2013
Read | 2 Corinthians 3:1-6
Many people would scoff at the idea of inadequacy as a way the Lord blesses believers—the feeling can be so disheartening that it seems illogical to think in terms of benefit. Yet Christians can use shortcomings as stepping stones to blessing:
1. Our inadequacy forces us to do our work in the power of the Holy Spirit. Anything that puts us on our knees and drives us to God has to be good.
2. Awareness of our limitations can relieve us of the burden of trying to do God’s will in our own strength. Without the Holy Spirit, we will be crushed by weights we cannot carry.
3. Another blessing is that such awareness “frees” the Lord to use us to the maximum of our potential. When we are lowly enough to feel our need, then God will raise us to great heights.
4. Acknowledging our shortcomings allows God to get all the glory for His work. Spiritually minded people can tell when something is of God—and when it’s not. If you are in the Spirit, the glory will rightfully go to the Lord.
5. Inadequacy can enable us to live in contentment and quietness of spirit. Either we will give God our burdens and cease striving, or we will proceed in our own strength and become overwhelmed.
Like the apostle Paul, we should not claim competence in ourselves but rather acknowledge that our adequacy is from God (2 Cor. 3:5). What area in your life are you trying to manage in your own power? Relinquish control and anticipate God’s blessings, knowing that He desires good for His children.
God bless you!
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The Danger in Being a Christian: It began as a Jewish sect; fierce persecution only helped it spread Today's reading: Acts 8 Acts 8:1 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. In some countries, a person who becomes a Christian forfeits a good education and job. And in a few countries, a person who converts risks his or her life. One church historian estimates that more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than in all preceding centuries put together. Yet, strangely, more often than not, intense persecution of Christians leads to a spurt of growth in the church. An ancient saying expresses this phenomenon: "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." The First Big Advance For a while, the new faith enjoyed popular favor. But very soon it involved grave risk. In the book of Acts, the persecution that produced the first Christian martyr, St...
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