PEACE THROUGH GRACE
- RTGW
- May 5, 2022
- 4 min read
Psalms 4:8 "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety."
So often, we look in the wrong places for peace; so often, we are not living in the moment and are constantly looking for something else, relying on our own understanding of what we think we need. In reality, these are all distractions, keeping us from finding joy and peace in the right places—money, possessions, success, fleshy desires, and delusions of false gods and idols. Only a deep and meaningful relationship with God will deliver true peace rather than temporary contentment. In my case, it led to the quest for immediate gratification through drugs and alcohol. It was never enough to satisfy me, and I convinced myself that I was in control. A customer once told me that "addiction simply steals happiness from tomorrow."
Athletics were a huge part of my life and something that, as I look back, may have been a blessing that I cursed or took advantage of—here's what I'm getting at. God blessed me with all the ability in the world, and as I grew in talent and athletic success, I grew further away from God and became more reliant on my own understanding. I seemed to have a grasp on this lifestyle that gave me great joy, success, and accolades from the world; in hindsight, it wasn't joy and peace at all. It was temporary happiness and the endless quest for that next level in a vicious cycle of earthly vices.
I started writing this article back on 4/15, and today is 5/1. A lot has happened since then, not all of which was pleasant. We lost a friend to addiction a couple of days ago. I was with him for the ride, sharing my battle as we communicated through various texts and phone calls, sharing times of pain, times of momentary success, and his belief in God. I pleaded for him to surrender 100% and go all-in with the Lord the same way we would go all-in on the gridiron as teammates. It was met with some resistance and his insistence that "I got this." Please believe me when I tell you that we alone will never "got this," but through God's grace... we "got this" together. He's got this—He's got all his children: "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) I will have to wait a bit to toss the pigskin around with you in Heaven, my friend.
By no coincidence, I just picked up my phone to check out the bible app for my verse of the day, and here it is: "'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (II Corinthians 12:9) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, needs, persecutions, and distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Well, here we go again. I got my morning word from another childhood friend from the same circle. "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:79) Now, back to Paul teaching in Corinth. Paul is simply saying he would rather boast in his weaknesses that the power of Christ may rest upon him. Boasting in our weaknesses is not natural; we boast in our gifts and abilities. Paul is asking the Lord to remove a thorn from him so he would be free of it. He has been wrestling with it and in constant pain, hence, a thorn in his side, but God tells him, "my grace is enough." We all deal with thorns. They make us feel weak and frustrated amid all the crazy events we encounter; they try to deplete us and break us down. Paul teaches that instead of complaining about our thorns, we need to celebrate them, as they have a purpose. Thorns are evidence of the anointing of God in our lives. They are also evidence He has gifted us in so many ways, and with those gifts, He has also given us something to keep us humble. It reminds us that these gifts are from God and God alone.
Here's the best part. Those thorns are a platform for God to show the exceeding riches of His grace. Through our weakness, when we are broken, God shines through and shows us He can mend us; He shows that no thorn, problem, or trial we encounter will ever exhaust our God's awesome, endlessly rich grace. So together, let's embrace it today. Let's be thankful for the breath we still breathe right now—let's not complain. Hey! We are ambassadors of the Lord, and we are anointed to show the greatness of our God. I think it would give Him great pleasure that we realize and share the simple but glorious fact that God's grace is enough.
FUNNY LARRY THOUGHT
Remember that Michael Jordan Gatorade commercial from back in the day? The one with the 'Be Like Mike' song? "Like Mike, if I could be like Mike!" News flash!—Mike has left the building, and those days are long gone. I think I would like to be like Paul and enjoy an everlasting journey with God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit that will bring joy and peace that will never leave us nor forsake us.
So please always remember and Never forget that God's grace is enough. Thank you for your time, and as my friend, Captain Avant has taught me, be blessable, then stay blessable and bless someone every day.