By Grace

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

I haven’t written in quite a while, but think it’s time to start again. I plan to write weekly about matters that God’s Spirit presses upon my heart and mind. Thus I have no idea of the topic from week to week, but trust that the Lord will direct my thoughts and enable me to communicate effectively. So, let’s get started.

Like many of you I have kept up with what’s happening in Afghanistan. The manner in which we have withdrawn our troops coupled with the stunningly sudden return of the Taliban’s control of the country has caused an array of responses, ranging from utter disbelief to disappointment to embarrassment.

The images and stories coming from the frontlines of Kabul are horrific and so sad. Watching Afghans attempt to cling to airplanes as they take off only to plunge to the earth and die shouts of their desperation. Stories of the Taliban hunting down and torturing and killing Afghans and their families who have helped our troops over the years are so hard to read.

I read of Afghan Christian leaders who had decided to acknowledge their commitment in a very public sense. The country requires every citizen to have an identification card which includes the identity of one’s religion. Several Afghan Christian leaders had decided to identify as “Christian” on their ID cards. Already the Taliban has made contact with these leaders, sending ominous warnings and threats to them.

At the same time that Afghanistan is deteriorating, I also am reading of the devastation that’s occurring in Haiti. Saturday’s earthquake along with a tropical storm that passed through the country have left many dead and many, many more in need of basic necessities. These disasters have happened while the country finds itself in the midst of its own political turmoil. Just last month gunmen assassinated the Haitian president and wounded his wife. This poor country cannot catch a break.

Both the atrocities in Afghanistan and the disasters in Haiti have weighed heavily upon me. The Lord has grieved my heart for both nations and their people. I have prayed numerous times for each of them in the last several days. I know that God can produce victory out of the worst of defeats. The resurrection of Jesus attests to this truth. So I pray that God will do what only He can do in Haiti and Afghanistan.

An unexpected thing happened while I was praying for these needs. As I pondered over the magnitude of these needs, the Lord impressed upon me how truly blessed I am. I have never had any concerns over terrorists knocking on my door, looking to kill me and my family. I never have had to wonder if my family would have enough to to eat or from where tomorrow’s meals might come. I never have known the desperation and devastation of the Afghans or Haitians.

As God laid these truths upon me He caused to recognize that many, if not all, of the challenges that I face are so inconsequential. The matters that I tend to get upset or anxious over really are so small and insignificant. They really don’t matter that much at all.

So why do I get so worked over minutiae? It’s because I can become discouraged and self-absorbed in my own world. As Paul wrote in Philippians 2, I get caught up in looking out more for my own interests than the needs of others. It’s not only that my view of the world becomes small, but my vision of God shrinks as well. In my discouragement I become focused only on myself in my my own little world, I assume that God does too.

I tend to think that Elijah might have struggled with this malady too. In 1 Kings 18, God used Elijah in an incredible way. Elijah took on the prophets of Baal and Asherah and soundly defeated and destroyed them before outrunning Ahab all the way to Jezreel. Everyone who saw Elijah recognized that the hand of the Lord was upon him.

Yet, in a moment everything changed when Jezebel threatened to take Elijah’s life. His world suddenly shrank. Elijah became unable to see beyond his own struggles and challenges. Even when God spoke to him through a gentle breeze, Elijah couldn’t see past his own misery. He failed to realize that there were 7000 who had remained faithful to the Lord even as Elijah had.

I love how God dealt with Elijah. The word that comes to mind is grace. The Lord never stopped caring for Elijah, constantly supplying his needs even when Elijah failed to acknowledge Him. The Lord brought along Elisha to help him complete his work. By His grace God blessed Elijah with a tremendous legacy. He, along with Moses, appeared with Jesus in His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, affirming Jesus as the Messiah. God’s grace was sufficient for Elijah despite his failures. God’s power was perfected in Elijah’s weakness.

I am grateful that God still extends His grace to us. By grace He saves us. By grace God enables us to open our eyes and see beyond ourselves. By His grace God allows us to serve Him. By grace He leads us to realize how blessed we are and even to bless others. By grace God perfects His power in our weaknesses.

My heart breaks for the Afghans and the Haitians. I lift them up before my God, begging Him to shower them with His grace, mercy, and kindness. I pray that even in the midst of their misery that God will enable them to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. May they experience the sufficiency of God’s grace in ways that will enable them to glorify His Name. May God perfect His power in their weakness.