Just past the Trees

Sometimes it feels as though there are things almost within my grasp and yet not close enough. It is as if they are just beyond the trees! The moments when I'm standing on my tippy toes and I'm trying to reach but my 5 foot 4 inch body is only so tall and that cabinet that I thought I could reach into is out of bounds! I can't, no matter how much I stretch, reach, wiggle and jump! I just can't seem to reach that object that I want so badly.

Inevitably I need assistance, I need to get a chair, a ladder, or one of those really cool gizmos that you click a button and it is like an arm extender. It reaches in and grabs the object for you. Best invention ever.

These tools enable me to reach where I could never have gone on my own.

In my stubbornness I always try to reach it by myself, but in reality I will never reach anything unless I use these tools. It's the same way in our Christian life, God never intended for us to be all! We were not made to rely on ourselves for anything.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

His tools for us include the power of Jesus, the righteousness of God the Father and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us that we have been given everything we need for godliness and yet our human nature says work it out by yourself. Like me stretching and wiggling and reaching and getting frustrated on my own this occurs in our Christian life as well.

We also have the privilege of having another tool alongside of us, The Body of Christ. I know this tool so well! In a few weeks we will be gathering as women to wrestle with the question, If God is real then how does that impact our lives? I am part of a team of women who represent a variety of ages, spiritual gifts, talents, abilities, wisdom, life experiences and varying degrees of humor. What they can do together is indescribable!

God never intended for us to do things alone he meant for us to be in community with himself and with his body.

Today I am thankful, thankful for the power of Jesus, thankful for his authority, thankful that he made us more than conquerors. I'm thankful for righteousness, justice, graciousness and wisdom of God the Father.  I'm grateful for the guidance, direction and the conviction of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And I am filled to overflowing with the joy of being part of the body of Christ who inspires, encourages and exhorts. The body of Christ can do things that I am not capable of  doing by myself because I am not gifted in all areas! Thank you God for giving me women and men to come alongside of me in ministry.

When things seem to be just beyond your grasp and you are struggling, remember that you were not intended to do it by yourself!

What are you trying to do by yourself? Who could you invite to join you in your struggle?