One might think by casual observation that many of us don't really need God. We seem to be doing just fine on our own, thank-you-verymuch. There are shiny cars and hard bodies - sure signs of life.
Whenever I am tempted to think this way, I try to remember that God is asking us to continually reach beyond our grasp. When relationships get difficult, we consider leaving our church. That is when our need for Jesus and his reconciling love is perfectly clear!
Of course we need the power of God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in order to be the church of Jesus Christ. What part of "dying to self " did we think was going to be easy?
The prophet Jeremiah was feeling that things weren't going the way they should be and took some time to write a complaint to God, "Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper?"
Instead of entering into a dialogue about the merits of His leadership, God questions the questioner, "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?" (Jeremiah 12: 5).
The Apostle Paul seems to have grasped this reality when he said, "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.
Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me..."(Ephesians 3: 7).
So it isn't about our great abilities, but about God's grace given to us through the working of his power.
