About a month ago I began following a new running plan that is supposed to allow you to run less, but faster. The first few runs were going well and I was beating some of times by almost 20 seconds per mile, which if you run you know is a pretty good bit. I was feeling good, so when I was asked a couple weeks ago to participate in a half-marathon I decided I could handle it. Well I finished it and felt pretty good afterwards. Then that next week of training came, and it was terrible. I had to cut one of my runs 1/4 of a mile short and was 8 seconds off pace. I felt like I was failing, like it must have been beginner's luck or excitement that had carried me through the first few weeks of training. I was getting discouraged, upset, and a little mad about my workouts. But yesterday morning, I beat my goal time by 13 seconds per mile, a full 21 seconds faster than the run I had to cut short 2 weeks ago. Had a I discovered a new workout program that offered crazy results?! No. I had just continued to preserve through the setbacks, gave myself proper recovery and training, and found new speed and strength afterwards.
The same type thing happens in our daily lives. We teach our children how to act and what to do, but they still misbehave at times. We do our job how we should, but we get passed up for a promotion or raise, or worse yet laid off. We treat the people around us right but they still do things at times that hurt us. We eat right and exercise but still become infected with some sort of illness or disease. We follow the plan and do what's right but things just don't turn out how we think they should.
A similar type things happened to Paul during his ministry to Corinth. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, he is afflicted with a thorn in is side which causes him some struggles and setbacks. (v7)"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited." God sent a painful thorn as a hindrance to keep Paul humble. This nuisance affected his ministry and daily life. This was an angel (demon) of Satan that was causing these attacks on Paul. John MacArthur adds commentary that there was likely a demon possessed individual who was likely the ring leader of the false apostles in the Corinthian church. Satan was using the people to divide the church that Paul loved. Even with just a couple weeks of running, I had gotten a little prideful and cocky about the initial success I had. Thankfully, I was humbled without having to suffer through an injury. As our church deals with the painful thorn we have been dealt, I wonder if we were becoming prideful, thinking that we could not succumb to anything impacting other churches around us. We haven't had money issues, member issues, or building issues. Maybe we thought we were untouchable?
In v9, after not granting Paul's request to remove the thorn, the Lord says to him, "My grace is sufficient for you." God had not removed the thorn from Paul as requested, but He did assure him that he would provide him with enough grace to endure it. Aren't you glad that God's grace is always available! God didn't make me faster on those runs just because I was ill about the slower ones, but he gave me the determination and plan to keep working through it. God may not send the next out of this world, Billy Graham caliber, pastor to Tabernacle, but He will give us the man we need for the times we are in and for where we are as a church.
The Lord goes on to say, "my power is made perfect in weakness." The weaker the human vessel; the more history, baggage, obstacles you've overcome in your past, the more God's power and grace are displayed. When you see someone who had all the odds stacked against them come out the other side, that's a God thing. Our church is facing this situation now. We are in a wounded, vulnerable, weakened state. But in this time of weakness, it gives us a chance to gain newfound strength and display God's grace and power.
You can read on in vs9-10 and see that Paul did not take pleasure in the pain caused by the thorn. The hurt and difficulty of dealing with this trial was not enjoyable. But in the end, when he came out the other side stronger, he rejoiced in how Christ's power had been revealed through his triumph. For me, running slower times wasn't fun, breathing harder and feeling more burn in my legs just to have a slower pace was frustrating. But when the fun feels good, when you set a new personal best, or win a race, the pain is worth it! Losing our pastor at Tabernacle hurts. The discussions about who and what our future is will likely be painful and aggravating at times. But through this time without a pastor, through this weakness, we can find strength as individuals, as small groups, and as a church, that we may not have realized were there before.
Every day is not easy, every load is not light, every task is not simple. But when things get difficult, we can remember this, "For when I am weak, then I am strong" as long as have the Lord with us.
The same type thing happens in our daily lives. We teach our children how to act and what to do, but they still misbehave at times. We do our job how we should, but we get passed up for a promotion or raise, or worse yet laid off. We treat the people around us right but they still do things at times that hurt us. We eat right and exercise but still become infected with some sort of illness or disease. We follow the plan and do what's right but things just don't turn out how we think they should.
A similar type things happened to Paul during his ministry to Corinth. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, he is afflicted with a thorn in is side which causes him some struggles and setbacks. (v7)"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited." God sent a painful thorn as a hindrance to keep Paul humble. This nuisance affected his ministry and daily life. This was an angel (demon) of Satan that was causing these attacks on Paul. John MacArthur adds commentary that there was likely a demon possessed individual who was likely the ring leader of the false apostles in the Corinthian church. Satan was using the people to divide the church that Paul loved. Even with just a couple weeks of running, I had gotten a little prideful and cocky about the initial success I had. Thankfully, I was humbled without having to suffer through an injury. As our church deals with the painful thorn we have been dealt, I wonder if we were becoming prideful, thinking that we could not succumb to anything impacting other churches around us. We haven't had money issues, member issues, or building issues. Maybe we thought we were untouchable?
In v9, after not granting Paul's request to remove the thorn, the Lord says to him, "My grace is sufficient for you." God had not removed the thorn from Paul as requested, but He did assure him that he would provide him with enough grace to endure it. Aren't you glad that God's grace is always available! God didn't make me faster on those runs just because I was ill about the slower ones, but he gave me the determination and plan to keep working through it. God may not send the next out of this world, Billy Graham caliber, pastor to Tabernacle, but He will give us the man we need for the times we are in and for where we are as a church.
The Lord goes on to say, "my power is made perfect in weakness." The weaker the human vessel; the more history, baggage, obstacles you've overcome in your past, the more God's power and grace are displayed. When you see someone who had all the odds stacked against them come out the other side, that's a God thing. Our church is facing this situation now. We are in a wounded, vulnerable, weakened state. But in this time of weakness, it gives us a chance to gain newfound strength and display God's grace and power.
You can read on in vs9-10 and see that Paul did not take pleasure in the pain caused by the thorn. The hurt and difficulty of dealing with this trial was not enjoyable. But in the end, when he came out the other side stronger, he rejoiced in how Christ's power had been revealed through his triumph. For me, running slower times wasn't fun, breathing harder and feeling more burn in my legs just to have a slower pace was frustrating. But when the fun feels good, when you set a new personal best, or win a race, the pain is worth it! Losing our pastor at Tabernacle hurts. The discussions about who and what our future is will likely be painful and aggravating at times. But through this time without a pastor, through this weakness, we can find strength as individuals, as small groups, and as a church, that we may not have realized were there before.
Every day is not easy, every load is not light, every task is not simple. But when things get difficult, we can remember this, "For when I am weak, then I am strong" as long as have the Lord with us.
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