But God! I just can't!

But God! I just can't!

by David Brenneman 

"And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

You're probably right. 

You can't. 

You weren't supposed to go it alone. 

You weren't supposed to pursue things outside of the will of God...but you did. 

You have probably found life overwhelming.  Feeling so lost and not knowing how to get back.

It's only a step away. 

Our finite minds can't grasp God's overarching plans for us.  It's just not within us to 'get'.

We would rather quit than see through what He's put before us.  Would rather give up than pursue the prize He says is worth it. 

Ever really think about that?

God said, in regards to people, that He doesn't see as man sees.  

"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 NASB1995.

Do you really know another’s heart?  How much do you really know about your own?

We are living in a "rush to judgment", "cancel culture" world.  

Immersed in data overload.  Immersed in sensory overload.  

Quickly forgetting what lessons Jesus taught His Disciples.  Stop. Get away. Spend time in silence and solitude with the Father.

Not immersed in this or that. Not binge reading or binge watching.  Silence and solitude.  

Literally the example is in cordless technology.  You don't get a cordless battery to recharge UNTIL you remove it from the device and plug it in the charger base and leave it in silence and solitude until it's charge returns. 

How will you receive what the Father is saying until you shut out the noise of the world? How will you learn from Him, take His yoke upon you, if you can't hear Him?

How will you find what you are capable of in Christ if you're not alone with Jesus Christ?

God places relationships, especially covenant relationships such as marriage, discipleship, high on the priority list.  If we unwittingly keep adding world to our thinking we will push God's priorities out the window.

We are to be disciples making disciples. While we are learning, growing in Christ, we are to be helping others find a new life in Christ. 

Jobs are replaceable.  If they are more important than what relationships that God has in your life, honestly, my prayer would be that you lose that job. That He would take it from you.  

If a hobby becomes more important than what the Spirit is attempting to do in your life, my prayer would be for Him to remove it. 

If anything or anyone is more important than Jesus to you...it's time to let go. 

You create your own problems when Jesus isn't your highest priority.  You pray and hear crickets?  Look at what you might have clogged the pipe with to get your requests to God.  Read the Gospels again. How often was it not until people took the STEP of faith that they were heard by Jesus and healed?  

Of course God always hears your prayers. 

Your obedience is what's first required before His deliverance of any answers. 

If you are in a troubled relationship, marriage, job. What are you doing about it?  Are you rolling over and giving up or are you fighting on your knees concerning it?  Are you wrestling with God over it?  Are you at all taking serious time out from the world to pour out your heart to Jesus about what troubles you?  

Was mowing yesterday and instead of listening to my worship music mix, I was listening to Dr. Charles Stanley's Life Principle #8. 

We really need to get to making it a habit, just as much as Jesus made it a habit, to get away to be with Him.  

When we do we gain a right relationship with Jesus.  We begin to see life from His perspective. We stress less, strive less about life.   We may even begin to see the work of God in us.  

Anything we hold in higher regard than what God has placed in our lives as our highest priority...will be removed. 

Remember God's will is our sanctification...not necessarily our personal happiness.  

Jesus made it clear...forgive as you have been forgiven. No excuses or exceptions. 

Jesus made it clear...love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and spirit. 

Jesus made it clear...love your neighbor as yourself. 

Jesus made life clear...we keep our focus on Him...not our situations. What and who He says is most important.  

We may need to go into situations blind by our perspective...but it's certainly not from His.

We cannot, and it cannot be stressed enough, cannot place our own conditions on obedience to God's Word.  

We cannot say what we will or won't do when it's clear what Jesus said.  

We are only to be quitters of living in sin.

We aren't to quit on what God's put His seal of approval on. What He's joined together. What He's jealous to protect. 

Jesus is jealous for you. He's wanting the best for you and the best to come out of you.  It's only found as we submit to His Will, His way. 

We received His grace, His unmerited favor, we are expected, not suggested, to give that to others.  Our granting grace and mercy might be what brings another into a right relationship with Jesus.  

Seeking to justify himself, that's why the guy's response to Jesus saying to love your neighbor as yourself...seeking to justify himself is why he asked who is his neighbor. 

We too can be tempted to justify our sense of justice.  We can be tempted to justify how we treat others.  

People beat, whipped, mutilated Jesus before nailing Him to the cross.  I think He knows what being abused and mentally abused is all about.  We read that He was a man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief.  We don't hold the corner market on any emotions. 

Today...stop...take serious time out just to be in silence and solitude with Jesus. 

Today...stop...making excuses for why you are being how you are towards others. 

Today...start...again to have a right relationship with Jesus so that you are in a right relationship with others. 

Submit wholeheartedly to the will of God for you and drop your conditions on your obedience.  

Begin today to treat people, and you, the way the Spirit is trying to teach you. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. Lockman Foundation