29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” – Isaiah 40:29
I felt weak this week. The circumstances of life caught up to me like a massive tidal wave of stress. Deadlines, unmet expectations, failures, and hurts all blended into the perfect storm of chaos and insecurity. Odds are, I am probably not the only one who experienced moments like these this week.
Life.
When times like these inevitably occur, I have found my faith to be more authentic. It is when experiences do not go the way we wish that our faith is tested and we can go forward or retreat. This week I saw my faith move in positive ways. While I wanted to lash out, pout, and hurt myself and others, somehow I tapped into the strength of a savior who is never in short supply. Before He does this, it helps to admit your weakness and powerlessness. For this is our identity without Him. Yet with Him – when we can breathe long enough to remember His grace, we have a deep well of strength and patience. This is an identity issue.
We remember our identity when we are stressed. It is the anchor we go back to and well in which we find refreshment. That even when our circumstances are shifting, our roots in Him do not. We can find ridicule, heartbreak, embarrassment, shame, and consequences while still being able to face the day in grace.
Grace will always triumph over the small waves and stresses of this world. Today, lean into the grace you have been given. Do not let the stress win. His victory is yours whether you win or lose. You are no longer defined by the frustrations of this all too temporary world.
Matt simon blog 