Feeling useless is liberating when we can accept all we
can do is watch and wait.
The theology of
Paul teaches us that at the end of our own power comes the beginning of God’s
power. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) So, as a matter of fact, when we are at the end
of ourselves, we are never closer to the transcendent power that really could
make a difference in our lives.
An expression of
coming to the end of our own power is being brought to the state of feeling
useless. We can imagine God having orchestrated the circumstances of our lives
in order to bring us to the precipice of our lack of control. This is not
because God is vindictive. It is the nature of life that God is God and we are
not. It is a blessing, always, to be reminded of the eternal order of things.
Being able to do
only one productive thing makes things simple. When all we might do is watch
and wait, and that is the case in many circumstances of life, the choices for
action and inaction come to be straightforward. All we need to do is do what we
need to do.
The Shalom of God
This reminds me of
the Shalom of God – that smiling face of God favouring us with his empowering simplicity.
Even when we feel at the end of our own power, God compensates by empowering us
in the simplicity of his purpose.
As we consider God
turning his face toward us – even as we traverse hell – knowing his favour
abides as we abide in him – that smiling Shalom of God transcends the
difficulty, making the reality surreal.
As we turn in the
consideration of God turning his face toward us, we see the liberty he is
giving us in circumstances otherwise totally de-liberating. Of course, the
world cannot understand this spiritual reality; the gifting of God that we call
faith. It seems absurd to the worldly and it is absurd in the world’s thinking.
But we can know a different reality; to smile through a hardship; to accept
what we cannot change; to deny nothing of the truth; to be alive in the midst
of reality.
***
When things are
against us, God is still for us, and even more so. There can be freedom within powerlessness,
patience during testing, and courage that meets and befriends great fear.
© 2014 S. J.
Wickham.
No comments:
Post a Comment