Let’s be honest, life can often feel overwhelming. During the service on Sunday, I felt a great deal of responsibility as this long journey of entrance into the ministry came to fruition. In the midst of joyous celebration, I surely felt the weightiness of this calling. I am sure that you too share this overwhelming sense of burden in your vocations, family life, etc.. Life is not easy—you may not feel overwhelmed today but it is certain this feeling is just around the corner. These feelings of being weighed down with responsibility are necessary in the Christian life. Often times we need to be reminded of the frailty of our human condition.
The question becomes not whether we feel this way, but how do we respond? Brothers and sisters, in these times do you remember that God is glorified in your weakness? Recall with me the words of Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor 12:9) Notice here that it is precisely in our frailty that we boast all the more in the power of Christ. This simple truth ought to drive us to a reliance upon Christ evidenced by a deep and dependent prayer life.
When the Lord is gracious to remind us of our frailty, perhaps it is because he is calling us to return to him in prayer. The call of the Christian life is the call to lean fully on the power of Christ. How are we to be leaning on Christ if it is not through communing with him in prayer? While the world may respond to being overwhelmed by sulking, the Christian is to respond in reliance upon Christ in prayer. As I encourage you to be in prayer, I wanted to share a quote from a sermon titled “Prayer: The Proof of Godliness” by Charles Spurgeon.
“Prayer is the first cry by which it is known that the newborn child truly lives. If he does not pray, you may suspect that he lacks true spiritual life. And as prayer is the mark of godliness in its infancy, it is equally the mark of godliness in all stages of its growth. The man who has most grace will pray most. Take my word for it as certain, that when you and I have most grace, we may judge of it by the fact that there is more of prayer and praise in us than there was before. If you pray less than you once did, then judge yourself to be less devout, to be less in fellowship with God, to be, in fact, less godly. I know of no better thermometer to your spiritual temperature than this the measure of the intensity of your prayer.” – Charles Spurgeon