God's Grace Can Help Us Make It Through Tough Times
by Annettee Budzban

"...My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness..." — 1 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

I remember the day well. I was rifling through the left overs in my friends refrigerator. I was grateful that she shared the remains of her wonderful home-cooked meals with me, as well as a listening ear.

As I looked over the salad and other selections, I shared with her how weak I felt in managing all of the problems I was facing at the time. My friend's voice was barely within ear shot when I heard her say, "That's not at all how you appear to me. You're one of the strongest people I know."

I closed the refrigerator door and sat down on the stool at the table. I was trying to process what she just said. How could I appear to handle my problems so well when I felt so weak and overwhelmed?

That thought perplexed me for years, until one day I studied about God' grace. Then it hit me, that's how I made it through the tough times. God's power flowed through me and gave me the strength I needed to carry on in my weakness, even when I didn't realize it.

Are you going through a tough time? Do you feel like you can hardly take one more step forward? You need some of God's power (grace) to make it through.

It's our weaknesses that keep us dependent on God. God wants us to come to Him in prayer and lean on Him. When the apostle Paul was dealing with something he referred to as "a thorn in his flesh" he couldn't handle it. God reassured him "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness."

Grace is power we can ask God for. It's a favor that is given to us, just as a loving father provides for his child even though they don't deserve it. The good news is, we don't have to be perfect for God to extend His grace to us, because we can't improve our lives unless He gives us the power to do it.

Do you have a thorn in the flesh you're dealing with? Ask God to give you more grace to deal with it. Take that power and put in one more application. Face those hard to deal with people in your life with a loving attitude.

Establish and maintain those boundaries with your rebellious teenagers. Don't be afraid to face another day because you feel helpless and alone. Even if nothing changes right away, know that you can see it through, because God's grace is flowing through you!

Annettee Budzban is a religion columnist for two newspapers. She has been in many Christian publications and devotional books. Her e-mail address is ahrtwrites2u@aol.com

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