The Day I Said "I'm Not Strong Enough"

So I have this weird thing about me. I'll have an abundance of to-do duties on my calendar, but I won't stoop so low as to call upon a friend for assistance. I can do it on my own. When my presence is requested at multiple events, often occurring on the same night, I will arrive at every function, on time, and with a gift. I'm just such a great person and I can do it all on my own. I'm a therapist to my friends, who sits and listens when they call, offering nonjudgmental advice. I'm the sole employee to my boss, whom without she could accomplish nothing. I'm Dr. Phil to any wayward person I meet in the streets giving them sound guidance and I'm Mother Teresa to those in need. I'm superwoman. And I can do it all on my own.

Wait...I think I know what this is called. Pride.

Yep, that's right. I'm proud. I thoroughly examine all my many accomplishments at the end of the day and pat myself on the back. How great I am. I can do it all on my own.

And then, reality hit.

I had been involving myself in many activities lately. So when a friend emailed me who I hadn't seen in a while, I utilize her note as the perfect opportunity to entertain her with all my success. I explained how I'd been volunteering at the Humane Society, assisting with sick puppies and kitties. I told her I recently applied to be a mentor to high school students. And of course, I couldn't leave out that my healthy eating and exercise routine had never been better. I felt pretty proud of myself and just had to let someone know. But if that weren't enough, I told her we should meet up to catch up (or really, so that I could tell her about more of my awesomeness). Apparently, she didn't pick up on my gloating because she agreed to meet me the following Thursday. Swell.

So, as my busy week went on, I continued saving the world with my selfless deeds one day at a time. And then, Thursday came. Because I had been so busy catering to the sick and lonely all week, I hadn't had much time to participate in my daily run. Well Thursday, I had nothing planned, right? So I'd run Thursday. Three miles into my run, my phone rang and it was my friend. In this digital age, my friends and I often text, even email each other. But we don't call. So when the phone rang, I immedietly thought something was wrong. I sacrificed my good pace and breathing to answer my friend in need. "Hey, are we still meeting up today?" Gasp!

That's right. I had forgotten. I let a friend down. She seemed understanding stating "yea that happens sometimes," but I couldn't help but feel she took offense to me forgetting about her. Then it got me thinking, can I do it all on my own? God wants me to be a good friend, a good neighbor, give to the poor, clothe the naked, and visit the imprisoned. Can I accomplish all that I'm required to do by myself?

The answer is no.

In listening to the Matthew West's song "Strong Enough", I really get it now. The song says "I know I'm not strong enough to be everything that I'm suppose to be. I give up. I'm not strong enough. Hands of mercy won't you cover me. Lord right now I'm asking you to be strong enough, strong enough, for the both of us". Wow, so we can't do it alone. But God can give us the strength to! Yes, it is true that God is calling us to do great things. In John 14.12, Jesus says we will do even greater things than He. However, we aren't called to do things apart from God, but through the power of the Holy Spirit. With this power we will be witnesses for God unto the ends of the earth (Acts 1.8). Matthew West says that we are not strong enough to do all that God has called us to do. We simply aren't. We must acknowledge the power of the Holy Sprit working through us and giving us the strength needed to be the good friend, good neighbor, give to the poor, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and visit the imprisoned. We have to give up pride and honor God, knowing that all we do is incapable of being accomplished without Him. Thank You Lord.

These days, I'm working on my pride and my self-righteous attitude. It only separates me from the Living Lord. But anytime I fall, I know I can call on Him. He never misses an appointment with me. :)

Blessings

Slave to Christ

My church has been celebrating black history month all February. At prayer meeting last night, my pastor summed up the month by describing what we focused on each Sabbath. We discussed about how we have been liberated from slavery to Satan, slavery to sin, and slavery to self. But he then went on to say that we have been liberated from all of these things...so that we can be slaves to God. Huh? What could he mean by this? A slave does not have choices and options like a freeman. He does what he is told to do, wears what he is told to wear, and speaks the way he is told to speak. He does not get paid like a servant or even has privileges to come and go as a servant does. A slave is in total bondage to the master.

Throughout history, slaves were subject to involuntary slavery. But now that freedom has been granted, people are taught to fight oppression! Fight bondage! We are told as children to never give up, never allow yourself to subject to anyone or anything you disagree with, and fight. But we are called to be slaves to God. It is a concept difficult for us to wrap our heads around.

Slavery to God is voluntary. It is saying “I don’t have a goal, I do what the Master tells me. I don’t decide what to wear, I wear what the Master tells me. I don’t eat what I want to eat, I eat what the Master tells me to eat.” The way I think of it is as if I were on death row for a crime I committed and a friend stepped in to take that punishment, even though she had never done anything wrong. All she asks of me is to live out her dream. I would no longer have dreams or purposes. My one dream and purpose would be to live out what she asked of me because of what she did for me. I would be in bondage to her dream, a slave to what she asked of me. Jesus took that punishment for us and asks us now to serve Him, producing those fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5.22-23).

As slaves of Christ, the only way to tell we are slaves is by our voluntary service. It is what we live for as slaves of Christ. It was clear throughout history who was a slave because he/she did not do what they wanted to do. They served the master whether they liked it or not, and that’s what they lived for. Our service to God should be the same, but should be a joyful service! That sermon really compelled me to stop living for self and become a slave to Christ. Living, acting, eating, watching, and partaking in things that the Master says I can. I feel only then can we really become the hands and feet of Christ.

Blessings