2 Corinthians 12:9, “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.”
Probably one of my most favorite verses in the Bible because it takes all the pressure off of us. Some of us think we are disqualified from life because of our inadequacies. Not true.
His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.
Sometimes healing comes not by removing what has occurred in our lives, but by taking the damage and turning it into something rare and special. In Ecclesiastes 7:12, “Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?” I purposely did not capitalize the h in “he” because there are incidents in our lives that are caused by God for a very specific reason and others caused by Satan to defeat us. Either way, God is orchestrating the events of life, the good, the bad, the very things that we feel will destroy us, for a purpose far greater than we can imagine. When evil hurls a damaging blow, God uses it to make us majestically beautiful.
Living it out on a daily basis can be difficult. If you have not made your 2016 Resolution List or you are already struggling with the one you made, here are some tips to help you to make this year the best one yet.
1. Your ending is far more important than your beginning. Sometimes we spend too much effort looking at our past and trying to change it. Rear view mirrors are for glances. What’s ahead of you is far more important to God than what’s behind you. Plan accordingly.
2. Use your bends and twists. You are a survivor and what has happened in your life can be used as a source of strength. When obstacles come your way, when bad things happen, realize where you’ve been and who brought you through it.
3. You do have a choice. Each of us chooses every day whether to live in anger and despair over all the unfairness of life or to choose joy. The blessings in your life are just as significant as the difficulties. Give them each the proper weight.
4. Make Faith your first decision. Sometimes having faith is the last result. Make it your first. Believe first that God will handle the situation for your benefit instead of waiting until you have no other route to decide God can help.
Those who truly understand the value of knowing God will exchange all that they have to follow Him.
Make this your best year.
