Measuring Grace

I had a light bulb moment with the Lord yesterday and though I am still searching my Bible to flesh it all out, I wanted to share.

Trials and troubles come in life, right? We all have them. Yesterday, I had a very difficult couple of hours. Let's just say I needed some wisdom from God in parenting. 

Sometimes in those weak moments, I start adding up trials. It's no longer about that ONE problem but EVERY problem that day, that week, or maybe longer. Doesn't the struggle get bigger as we pile it all up together? Now it's not the JUST the behavior of one child in one challenging segment of time, but that child with yesterday's child with the noise the van is making with the broken dishwasher with tomorrow's schedule...and on it goes. 

Yesterday as I lamented, the thought came to me: "Stop adding up trials and start adding up GRACE!" Doesn't God give me the grace to persevere through every trial? The bigger the trial, the bigger the grace...right?? Is that not the COOLEST THING?!! The bigger the lack the bigger God's provision!

Do I really BELIEVE that if God calls me to it, that He'll bring me through it? Yes, I DO!! So why do I add up trials in my head? I should add up GRACE!! 

"Man, yesterday God poured out an ocean of grace upon me so that despite...(fill in the blank with the problems)...here I STAND!" 

Speaking of "God calling me to it..." I am not one ounce stronger than the next person. Adopting 4 children at once does NOT make me a stronger person. It means God poured enough grace into me to adopt 4 children! For those adopting 1 child, God pours that grace into them to adopt 1. Why would He pour enough grace into them for 4 children if He has called them to 1? For those who have adopted 6 children at once, God pours the grace upon them for 6. But I do not have the grace for 6. If He called me to it, He would give the grace equal to that task! 

So, for those who have put their faith and their lives in the hands of Jesus, He gives us the grace to obey Him that is equal to the trial and equal to the task. It is His strength meeting our weakness!! 

I do not FEEL stronger for the changes that have taken place in my life. I FEEL much, MUCH weaker. I meet my weakness daily. But, the beauty is, as I become more aware of my weakness I am humbled and FORCED to cry out to God. And He meets me there with HIS strength. I search His Word with desperation and He strengthens me with His grace through His truth. He has given me answers in His Word and I search them out, more and more aware of what a treasure His Word is. 

Weakness is not a bad thing. We are ALL weak. Without weakness we wouldn't know the glorious strength of God. Our greatest strength on our own is weakness to God. In my weakness, I am strong as He imparts HIS strength!

I'll count my blessings, yes! But I'll also try to remember to MEASURE His GRACE!!

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." ~2 Corinthians 12:9-10