"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God" - 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NIV).
A certain Christian friend had an experience that led him to a better understanding of grace. His eldest son easily progressed through school, settled in a good job and married well. This followed with his second born, who went on to flourish in his job too and quickly started raising a good family. However, comes to the third born things took on a strange twist.
"After enrolling him in university," my friend once shared with me, "the boy quit! He adopted the habit of constant drinking, smoking and doing drugs. I did everything, barked, counselled, made promises," he went to share, "but to no effect! In fact I went back to university and paid all fees, and had him register again. But again he dropped out. He continued with his drinking and once was dropped back at our gate all bloodied after a bar fight!"
What do you do when you have done everything in your power and nothing yields results! This was a bright boy who had earlier skipped class to go to one of the best secondary school in the country. The parents had the capacity to pay for the best education. He had been raised in a loving Christian home and never wanting. And if not all, had those brothers already doing well with their families, to look up to.
Having done everything my friend stopped struggling with his son and surrendered him to God. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.."
Suddenly, having long let him free, the boy returns home. "I have come to the end of the road and want to go back to university!" He had eventually had a change of heart once no one was pushing him. Today, not only is he a graduate with a good job but like his brothers has started raising a good family!
"God brought me this situation," said my friend, "to teach me grace. If I had not had this experience I probably would have swelled with pride as a star Father. But I needed it for God to reveal to me it is not by might but by his Grace."
As believers there are certain situations where no amount of effort will bring the desired change. However, once we recognize that it is only by grace and not by our might, it is amazing then what God can do!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I surrender to you that situation where I have come to the end of the road that you take over, for your glory, this I pray in Jesus's name!
