002:'My grace is sufficient for you'

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 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.

The way we were

As the new year approaches, it is a good time to re-evaluate our lives and look positively upon the year which is to come. For many of us, the natural ageing process causes us challenges which we have not encountered before and possibly question whether we can maintain the same pace of life and work to which we have become accustomed. Arthritic joints, diminishing hearing and eyesight, slower reactions, unease with change, all make life more challenging. Do we start to get dissatisfied with ourselves and look enviously upon the earlier days of our life? Paul prayed earnestly for relief from his 'thorn in the flesh', no doubt wishing he still had all his faculties. We will never know what his 'thorn in the flesh' was - it might be an eye impediment received during his conversion on the road to Damascus, or it could have been something totally different. Whatever it was, it caused Paul to plead with God three times to take it from him.

But God seemed to be saying to him 'be content with what you've got' because 'my grace is sufficient for you'.

Accepting who we are

Rather than nostalgically brooding over the past we need to get real with the person we now are. The human body has decay built into it and no amount of prayer is going to change that. What prayer can do is change the way we deal with it.

One of the most important moments in the story of the Prodigal Son is when he is sat in the pig sty, realising what a mess he had made of his life by squandering his father's money and perhaps disqualifying himself from his sonship. No doubt he looked mournfully upon what he had lost. He had received blessings which he had taken for granted and had now turned his back on. I love the way Luke records this moment. He doesn’t dwell on the thoughtlessness and greed of the lad but simply says, ‘when he came to himself’ (v17). Accepting our situation for what it is can reconnect us with our true self. How often do we look back at our earlier life and say things like 'if only I'd spent more time learning the piano' or 'if only I had spent more time with my family and friends instead of working long hours at the office to earn a living'? Past regrets may be a good teacher but not a good companion. It is important to recognise that you are not the person you once were but you are still 'fearfully and wonderfully made' and deep down inside you still have the same spirit which yielded so much fruit in the past.

I recently took up squash again after a gap of many years. I impressed myself with the way I got back to my original standard and even surpassed it on occasions. However, it wasn't long before I had a problem with my left knee. The physio did his best and the doctor prescribed his pain-killers but when all was said and done, my body was sending me a message - 'at your age it will do more harm than good'. For all the boyhood ambitions of climbing up the leagues once more at my ripe old age, it was time to be realistic. My competitive squash days are over - make do with badminton, hillwalking and sports which don't wreak havoc with the joints. And through it all, God says to us, 'my grace is sufficient for you'.

Handing over

As the new year approaches make a list of all the things which seem to be barring you from achieving what you would like. Split them into three groups 1) physical 2) relationships 3) spiritual. Be brutally honest and don't hide anything under the carpet. Being 'in denial' won't help. Having compiled your list, pray over each one and ask God to speak to you about it. You may be surprised how God's perception differs from yours. You may have written yourself off whereas God may say 'have you thought of doing it this way instead'. To do this properly, take a day out. Go into the hillside as Jesus did; take a trusted companion with you to talk them through; don't rush it. Make this a time of taking stock over who you now are and what you can now achieve.

Remember how Jesus took his disciples to Caesarea Philippi and asked 'who do people say I am'. I see this as a similar exercise of assessing what he had achieved and what lies ahead of him. It was a turning point in his ministry when he determined to bring his ministry to a climax and face death at Jerusalem. It may not be so morbid for you but being prepared to 'die to self', or in this case to 'die to the person you once were' may lead to a new resurrection and new life. Remember also that you are still called by God to ministry. He doesn't revoke the calling just because your joints are aching or your eyesight has got worse. Remember also the words of Psalm 139 - 'I am fearfully and wonderfully made'.

Having made your list, reviewed it with God and with a trusted friend, now is the time to hand it over to God. Remember he can make of you far more than you could possibly imagine. Hand your list over to God, perhaps with tears of regret and longing but let him deal with it in his way. Don't strive in your own strength to compensate for what you have lost, simply wait upon God to provide answers and the strength you need for the next phase of 'being you'. Striving to overcome your problems is a natural human reaction but will only lead to greater disappointment and even burnout. Take time to re-read Jeremiah 18 which tells of the potter and the clay. Brittle clay never makes good pots.

And through it all, God says to us, 'my grace is sufficient for you'.

Smell the world, and be thankful 

In your striving and disappointment have you forgotten how to 'smell the world'? Do interesting and exciting moments pass you by? Do words of comfort and encouragement go in one ear and out the other? We can have our noses so close to the grindstone that we fail to appreciate the many blessings and offers of help which are on our doorstep. We can also become too proud to ask for help from people who are only too keen to lend a helping hand. Remember 'the graveyards are full of indispensable people', or to be more accurate, those who thought they were indispensable. Now is the time to rejoice once more in who you are and look ahead with optimism to a future fashioned by the Master Craftsman. Rejoice in who you are - give thanks for who you are - accept who you are. And give thanks also for the many people around you who are on your side, wanting you to succeed.

And through it all, God says to us, 'my grace is sufficient for you'.

'My grace is sufficient for you'.

It is good to ponder the deep meaning of these words from God to his trusted ambassador, Paul. Firstly, what is grace? The meaning is, in simple terms, undeserved love. To put it slightly differently, God may be saying to Paul, 'I know you don't deserve my many blessings, but they are there for you and they will get you through your hardships'. Looking back on Paul's ministry we can see how true that was.

However, I think it goes even deeper than that. I can hear God saying to Paul 'what more do you need than what I supply for you?' Was Paul falling into the trap of trying to work harder than he should to earn God's favour? I can remember Corrie Ten Boom, the Dutch Christian who faced immense hardship during the second world war saying to Canon David Watson, the prominent Anglican, as she departed on a train from York station, 'nestle, don't wrestle'. Detecting the struggle going on the David's ministry she offered these words of wisdom and comfort. I can also hear God saying something like this - 'Paul, I know your limitation just as much as you do but I can use you just as you are'. The temptation for us to feel we are a spent force can impose subtle pressure. However, God does not write us off once we start to decompose. We are still people made in his image and have a purpose to fulfill, even if we can't perform in the way we did in the past. So it's time to rejoice in the fact that we serve a God who does not act like Ofsted. Yes he wants us to strive for the highest possible standards and give ourselves utterly to his ministry but at the end of the day we need to be content with the knowledge that we are imperfect and will inevitably feel we could have done better. So now is the time to rejoice in God's grace and let the meaning of the word grace permeate deep within our soul.

And through it all, God says to us, 'my grace is sufficient for you'.