Grace and Peace!
Today’s uplift: When We’re falling apart God is Holding us Together!
“He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17
Make a check list, I said to myself, as I continued to make my to-do list for areas/things that need much improvement. I squeezed it between my study time and remote learning for my grandson.
But before putting the list away, I thought of something else that needed my attention: “Work on being a better person.”
Perhaps the saying is true that we’re our own worst critics, but despite how hard I try, sometimes it feels like every area of my life is sort of falling apart. Sitting there doing that check up from the neck up quickly became shame and discouragement. I was reminded of everything I’m not doing well and everything that I am not!
Sinking into disappointment and self-pity, I needed to remember the light at the end of the tunnel. No matter how gloomy things feel or how badly I believe I’m doing, Jesus is there, ever bright, ever loving and ever caring.
It’s during those moments when we seem to be failing at all the important things, that we need to take our eyes off of us and put them on Christ. He’s still good; He’s our constant; He’s our Rock and He’s our Hope! He can do anything but fail!
When I only look at what I’m not, the entrapment of my perceived failures keeps me focused on the darkness in the tunnel instead of seeing His hope-filled light. Sometimes the way out is merely a perspective change. I can beat myself up about so many things that I’m not doing well or I can look to Jesus, letting His light pierce through my darkest moments and guide me closer to Him. It’s at those moments that I have to remember what the Word says “He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together ~ even me!
I may be struggling to hold things together, but the Lover of my soul holds all things together. When we commit to Him our victories, our failures and our efforts that land somewhere in the middle, He holds them together.
The verse says He’s before all things. Jesus knew our struggles long before we knew them, and He’s rooting for us to see beyond those struggles and look to Him. If we take our eyes off of all that we’re not, we can embrace who He says we are and who we are in Him!
When we need to work on our friendships, Jesus says we’re His friends. (John 15:15); when we feel disconnected and inadequate, He says we’re branches of the true vine, able to bear fruit in Him. (John 15:1, 5); while we’re being hard on ourselves and not giving ourselves grace, Christ says there’s no condemnation for those in Him. (Romans 8:1) There are times when it feels like everything is either falling apart or, at best, or an extremely long work in progress. Even then, Jesus is solid, and He offers strength that will carry us through….He’s our constant.
Friends, I don’t have to have it all together, I simply need to know the One who does. He’s there whether I’m checking all the boxes or barely making it along. I know He wants me to be a better friend, wife, mom and servant, but I’ll only become better by looking toward the Light, the Refiner.
You see, when we make our struggles all about us, it becomes harder and harder to pull ourselves out. But when we connect our un-met desires to His desires for us, we gain strength to keep pushing. He wants us to succeed!
There will be more days when I wonder, Am I being a good friend? Am I doing enough for the Kingdom? The answer may very well be “no,” but you know what? I can praise God that He gives me a mind to even care about things like this. I can look to Him with a soft heart and let His Word show me how to get to where I need to be. When we become better for those around us and can say Jesus is the reason, He gets the glory, and our struggle is not in vain.
Overcomer, pray that He helps you to see that Your greatness outweighs your shortcomings, and He’s right here with you as you grow to become more like Him. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Be Optimistic; Be Open Minded; Be an Over comer!!
Love Min. P.