Midweek meditation

Dear Friends, this week’s message comes from Guideposts Outreach Publications; Empowered By Faith: You are Stronger than You Think. May it share strength, inspiration and hope.

 Sustained by Grace 

“When I want to do good, I don’t;and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.”            

                                                                     Romans 7:19 (TLB )

 There is a story of a man who was struggling spiritually. He said, “I’ve been a person of faith nearly my whole life, but I’m constantly disappointed in myself.” Then he asked, “Isn’t God getting tired of me?” Anyone who has battled addiction, bad habits or other daily struggles knows the disappointment they bear when asking God for forgiveness or the strength to prevail, over and over again.

Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens once said, “The battles that count aren’t the ones for the gold medals. The struggles with yourself — the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us – that’s where it’s at.” Invisible and inner battles are common and cannot be overcome alone. We must turn to the Lord for mercy, forgiveness and grace. When we tackle the spiritual and personal shortcomings in our life with our own might, we often fail and feel discouraged, causing us to ask, “Isn’t God getting tired of me?”

 The good news is God never gets tired of us or our confessions and prayers. His love and grace is beyond our human comprehension. God knows our shame, vulnerability and faults. God’s grace is sufficient and greater than our struggles. On our own, we could never overcome our personal struggles, but with His presence in our life we have the hope and faith needed to press on.