God's Plan is Bigger Than Our Comfort
“So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6
If you’re anything like me, you don’t feel like you’re being a very “good Christian” (what even is that?) most of the time. As much as we try to avoid them, with every day comes new sins, both the same old patterns we’ve always struggled with, and new sins we didn’t even know we were capable of. Yuck. Things have probably been harder for you this year than you expected. Your New Years Resolutions have come and gone and you just feel a little bit like a failure.
Can I tell you something? You are not alone. None of us are where we’re supposed to be, because Jesus isn’t done with us yet. If you woke up this morning, Jesus is committed to making you new, but He still has work to do.
These sins that you struggle with? The exhaustion you’re battling? The fear and anxiety you wrestle with? He is using the very things that make you question your Christianity to draw you closer to Him and make you more of the glorious creature you were always meant to be. He is doing something bigger in you than your comfort.
It can be easy to feel like everyone else here has it together. She has a better prayer life. She has more energy than I could ever have. She is so creative and fun. She leads a Bible study, is captain of every team, AND makes straight A’s.
But let me tell you something - feeling your brokenness in your sin is a sign that you are a growing Christian. The moment we don’t feel our need of Him is the moment we should start praying to see our sin. And He will answer! But the key is not letting ourselves stay in a state of discouragement. Scottish Pastor Robert Murray McCheyne said it best when he said, “for every one look at your sin, take ten looks at the cross.”
Every time we look at the cross, we are reminded that there is no sin too big for grace. There is nothing Jesus’ sacrifice didn’t cover. It’s okay to not be okay - because none of us are! We are all sinners in need of grace.
But the Christian life should also be a place where we preach the gospel to each other over and over. I love Zechariah 4:6 “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
There is no such thing as a good Christian, but there is absolutely a Good God. You are His and you are squarely within His will for you today - not by your own might, but by His Spirit. Look ten more times at the cross today, and thank God that even our sins and struggles are a sign that He is changing us and making us more like Him. He’s not done yet - what a truth to cling to!