“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

Grace

I recently wrote a letter to our All Nations family in response to a question that I’ve been asked repeatedly. Because all of you have helped get us through this time, I wanted to share what I wrote with you, too.

I have been asked so many times what the most important thing is that I’ve learned on our unexpected journey. That’s a hard question because I learned so many things! I could make a long list of all the lessons I’ve learned. I’ve thought about this question a lot because I’ve been asked it so often. I guess it boils down to learning that His grace really is sufficient for every need we face.

When it says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is sufficient for us and that His power is made perfect in our weakness—it’s not just a comforting phrase. It is one of the most profound statements in the Bible! It is our lifeline for everything we walk through in life. It is what enables us to go through any and every difficult experience we face in life. In the last few years I have faced countless experiences of weakness—literally hundreds of them. Some were breathtakingly powerful! I wondered if I could survive them. Many of them came out of nowhere and shocked me with their impact in my life. “Weakness” hardly describes what I felt.

We are continually asking God for His help with something. We ask for His anointing, or His strength to get through…and yet He’s already promised it to us. We don’t have to reach for it or beg for it—it’s there as a promise in His Word. All we have to do is receive it. And His help is completely, 100 percent sufficient. It’s enough! More than enough. Whatever it is we’re facing—sickness, death, financial needs, conflict, spiritual warfare, insecurity, fear, anxiety—whatever it is…His grace IS SUFFICIENT! Abundant, even. I could not have survived without it. He is so faithful!

And following right behind that—kinda tagging onto it—is learning to be content in whatever situation we face. Because of His sufficient grace, I was able to be content in everything I walked through on our unexpected journey. I didn’t like some things! I certainly wanted some things to change. I found many things hard. I wasn’t always in a happy state of mind. But I was truly able to rest and to be at peace and content because of His sufficient grace. His grace, combined with a contentment that came from leaning into His sufficiency, enabled me to survive the journey!

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12,13).

That strength comes from His sufficient grace! My prayer is that you will find that grace for whatever you may be facing. The greater our need, the more sufficient His grace is.

Father, in our weakness and need, Your grace is sufficient for us. Teach us to be content in every situation we face. Amen.