Real Strength

Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
~ Colossians 1:9-12 (The Message)

Such good, sweet, stuff here! How often do I come to the very end of my ability only to grit my teeth, suck it up, and attempt to push my way through until the end? Yet this is not what we're called to or promised by the Lord! We're encouraged to find His strength; to seek it out and take it from Him when He offers it and, in doing so, to succeed in a power that goes far beyond our own and actually enables us to complete our tasks with joy and with reserves remaining. No more crashing through the finish line at the end of a task with an empty tank and a bad attitude - God provides us with a strength far beyond that - a strength that actually allows us to enjoy the journey along the way.

If there is anything that I have learned on the path though my life it's that I can be so stubborn in seeking out my own way and doing everything to make sure that it comes to pass. The lesson that God is overwhelmingly teaching me in these days is that it's not about my ability or strength or will, it's about His. I'm learning that there are many things that I just can't do on my own (or can't do well on my own) and in these moments I'm hoping that the refinement that is happening is truly making me more dependent on Him in both the good times and the bad times as I learn that it's in Him that I find strength and, at the same time, rest.

I believe that I'm beginning to learn that at the end of myself is truly where life gets good. Not perfect, mind you, but good. There is a richness that I'm finding in relying on the Lord that has been unparalleled in my life thus far. Arrived? No, not yet by any means. In progress? Most definitely!