peace . love . joy

(9) 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) For the sake of Christ, then, i am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when i am weak, then i am strong.

~ 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

i remembered this passage during my quality time with God today.

today's focus was on the needy, main passage was Proverbs 9:18. and the follow up question was "what am i doing to reach out to those in need?"

my answer :
materially in need - nothing.
spiritually in need - nothing. but the Spirit God sealed in me is doing something for me & them.

i am not perfect (horror of all horrors =o). so how can i help others spiritually? i myself am in need!

God spoke to me through 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. and it reminded me of a few friends i have. these verses (9-10) comforted me. it speaks of God being just who He is - God, and me being who i am - me. the God we serve is that powerful and that perfect.

if we were made perfect from the start, what role has God to play in our lives? what would we need God for? surely not to make us perfect, and surely not as our ticket to heaven.

God made us imperfect for a perfect relationship with Him.
He made us imperfect so that through us, His glory may shine forth from our faces, our words and our actions.
He made us imperfect so that we can appreciate what perfection - God - in all its marvelous splendour!

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall i fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall i be afraid?

~ Psalm 27:1

it brings about the question of whether or not we truly understand what it means to be a Christian, a lover, a follower, a disciple, a child of God.

yes, we will have anxieties. yes, we will have troubles. yes, we will suffer.
but God, our God, promises to listen, to answer, to uphold, to lift us up, to care for us.

in our weaknesses, God's power is made perfect.

we are also told to encourage others.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

~ Ephesians 5:19-20

(7) Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun [in one of its peculiar forms].

(8)Here is one alone--no one with him; he neither has child nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labor, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, neither does he ask, For whom do I labor and deprive myself of good? This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility); yes, it is a painful effort and an unhappy business.

(9) Two are better than one, because they have a good [more satisfying] reward for their labor;

(10) For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

(11) Again, if two lie down together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?

(12) And though a man might prevail against him who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

we CAN encourage and help others spiritually, no matter how undeserving or how ill-equipped we think we are (such sentiments should only propel us to dive into pools of resources to better equip ourselves to serve the Perfect One).

in helping others, we should not neglect ourselves, but that's a post for another time - i've got to work now =]

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 23-24

~love~