“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” — 2 Corinthians 4:7.
Sometimes I feel the inspiration to write but the words just won’t come — or at least not words that adequately get to the heart of what is on my mind. It’s not so much ‘writers’ block’ as it is understanding that some things exist on a plane where even the best words fall short.
The Apostle Paul experiences this in 2 Corinthians. His experience is very real, but the moment he starts writing he realizes it is going to sound inauthentic.
But then his thoughts coalesce and he lands beautifully in Chapter 12: “My grace,” Paul references God, “is sufficient, … for power is made perfect in weakness.”
This is where I live as a teacher. I prepare, I pray, I outline notes, I stumble around trying to get an idea across — and then God moves in.
It happened with my men’s group. I felt myself come to the end of my own understanding and then the following took clear shape.
“It’s not that God trips us up, or engineers a place where we are floundering or lost or defeated, or intentionally makes our lives more difficult. It is more that we are invited to humble ourselves, to admit that we do not have the resources or the strength to pull things off by ourselves and to trust God. It is then that God works with us to create a path forward. Our best efforts and God’s faithfulness together.”
We were created to rely on one-another and to trust God. The ‘I can do it myself’ approach to life misses the point of our creation and our relationship to The Creator.
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me… for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” — 2 Corinthians 12.
I come to the end of myself, and the beginning of God — and then we move into tomorrow together.
— Derek