II Corinthians 12 (Message Bible)
Paul writing what God communicated to him concerning a "Thorn in the flesh".....
"My grace is enough...it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness."
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take my limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations tat cut me down to size-----abuse, accidents, opposition, and breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
What would I be if I didn't let the POWER of God keep me.
Hold me in place....
Focus me..?
What would I be? What things would I do if I turned away from God and went back to running my own life? The prospect is so scary that I don't even want to think about it.
This POWER that God possesses, and yet freely gives to those who come to Him, is amazing.
It is a POWER that extends to my heart and thought patterns. It over rules old thoughts and leads me to a new way of thinking, acting and living. After all, Jesus did say, "I am the WAY!"
Any other way beside Him is death. Simple as that.
Paul found that his weakness and his inability actually become a strength in the hands of God. Isn't that the heart of recovery? Realizing that we have become powerless......that our lives had become unmanageable? I think so.
At last night's VRC meeting, we focused on turning our will and life over to God.
Barry Hooks had mentioned something long ago that I have never forgot. He said, "Wouldn't it be nice if we could just get rid of our self-will? Wouldn't it be great that when we came to God, He just ripped it out and took it away? That is why we don't surrender our will....we can't....But we do turn it over to God's care." We turn it....We move from one way of making choices and seeing the destruction because of them, and we turn and head toward a new way of living.
I referenced Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before He was crucified, as being a dark time when Jesus chose to embrace the Father's will. The whole "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me....not My will but Yours be done." That is a place and a point that we all travel to at one time or another. The place where life decisions have to be made. No one can make them for us...no one can take our place....it is on us. Such is the ground where we truly need to turn our will over to God and simply follow Him. But such places are also where the devil hides in the shadow's and tries to overwhelm us with memories of our past.....
"Remember how you always fail!"
"What makes you think you can do this now? Look how many times you've promised before to quit and go straight?"
And the litany of accusation goes on and on....
Yet through it all, there is the loving voice of God reminding us....."Not your will be done...but MY will be done in you." As the big book of A.A. states..."God does for me what I cannot do for myself." That my friend, is power!
Find it for yourself today...
Don't wait....
God on you...
mb
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