Breaking Barriers to Raise Barriers

From: Jumpstart P.E.P. Talk
Sunday, August 17, 2014

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

Those of you who know me know that I love to torture myself by running miles.  Running is my preferred exercise to stay fit.  I recently "kinda" completed an eight week challenge that I gave myself from my running app.  The app makes you name the challenge.  I named it "Breaking the Barrier".  The reason why I named it that was because when I ran track in my younger years, I ran middle distance; at the most, my event was two miles.  This challenge called for me to run three, four, five and six miles each week for eight weeks.  I had never trained my body or my mind to run over two miles, so the two mile mark was a "barrier" that needed to be broken.  After the second mile, everything in my body would tell my mind to quit, that I couldn't make it and to quit the entire challenge.  Everyone who does any kind of sport knows that your mind has to be made up to win before you start the race.  If not, when the pain hits, you will quit.

After a few weeks of running my challenge, I quickly realized that I and all of us humans are in and of ourselves, weak, feeble, frail and limited; not just in our physical bodies but in our minds.  Our nature without Christ is frail, feeble and powerless; carnality at its finest. I also realized that in my frailties, Jesus loves me!  There was nothing that I did to get  God to send Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save me and there is nothing that I can do to make Him stop loving me, even when everything in me is telling me to give up.

God wants us to completely rely on Him for everything.  Our accomplishments, lack of accomplishments, abilities, lack of abilities, etc. can't matter in the scheme of things when it comes to acceptance, sufficiency and power.  We can never broker or negotiate our way into success, no matter how hard we try.  That's like boxing the wind , running in place or swimming in a riptide.  People who look good on paper aren't necessarily happy and fulfilled in Christ because our works apart from being led by Christ is fleshy and becomes a thorn in our flesh.  Verse 7 says, "Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh....He asked the Lord to take it from him but Jesus answered, "My grace is sufficient, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  After defining these words in context, here are what the words from that verse means.

1. Sufficient - to raise a barrier, to ward off, to be enough or to avail.
2. Strength - ability, might, power, and possibility.
3. Made - accomplish or finish.
4. Perfect - accomplish or finish.
5. Weakness - lacking in ability, might, power and possibility.

Looking at these definitions, here's what that verse is saying.  "My unmerited, unearned favor has raised a barrier to ward off the danger of pride and selfishness to avail so you can realize, believe and understand that it's enough for you.  My ability, might and power breeds, accomplishes/finishes accomplishes/finishes in the face of every lack inability, impossibility and sheer powerlessness that you have in your flesh."

No matter what your accomplishments are or what your inabilities are, God's unearned favor and love is what sustains you even when you are messed up.  It's God's power that rests on you in your weakest point to bring strength to you and make the impossible possible. You must know that God's grace is enough for you.  Nothing that you do can out perform His grace and love.  You are accepted, so stop trying to prove yourself to people who will love you one day and hate you the next.  Jesus proved everything on the cross on your behalf.  He broke every barrier to raise barriers of protection for you so that His grace would be effective in your life.  Accept it.  Believe it.

I hope that this word has blessed your heart and transformed your mind.  Please meditate on this word and share it with your friends and family.

I can't wait to fellowship with you!

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In HIM,

Jos