Bad back
On Good Friday earlier this year, I was preparing to go to our morning ‘Good Friday Reflections’ gathering when all of a sudden there was a ‘pop’ in my back! The pain was so bad that I stayed in bed the whole Easter weekend. It transpired that I had slipped a disc in my lower back. I was in agonising pain, barely able to move, and had to rest which meant letting go of all ‘normal’ activities. It has been a real struggle, physically and emotionally. Nearly five months on I am 70% towards full recovery. In his second letter to the church in Corinth (in the Bible), the writer Paul told of what God said to him when he also struggled with something...
“But he (God) 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.”
I have certainly known what it’s like to be weak! This verse reminds us that becoming a Christian has nothing to do with our efforts or achievements; it is only possible by God’s grace. Also, God’s ‘power’ thrives in us when we are weak. Why? It’s so that we don’t take the glory and praise for the things that God does through us. There is something profound about this. God can, and will, work with anyone who is willing! Ethnicity, gender, education, career, wealth, possessions, success are not the things that qualify people to collaborate with God. I have seen this verse with fresh eyes due to me slipped disc. If you are feeling weak or low, be encouraged, God’s grace is enough for you and His power is made perfect in that weakness.
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader