Exams are definitely not my particular idea of fun. I remember a time in high school when I dreaded, particularly, math exams. Why? Well, because I mostly did not understand it, so I didn’t enjoy it and thus I didn’t study it. It’s only obvious that I wouldn’t enjoy the exam therefore, because it reminded me of my weakness, it made my failure a reality and no one likes that.
You see the whole point of scripts is that they are lived out. That’s the true test; That’s life’s exam! We previously established that the Christian’s Script is Scripture. And if we are being honest, most of us are failing terribly or scarcely winning. Thus eventually, our intellectual knowledge is in vain. If I claimed to know math, and braged about it to my friends throughout the term, they of course would wait to see my exam transcript. And if it is contrary to my claims, then my profession is void. It is so even with our Christian life.
But why are we failing?
Let’s go back to my math analogy. For a long time, I refused to accept I was weak. That was until my near final exams. I was confronted with an evident ultimate failure backed by past cumulative underperformed transcripts. And I did what I should have done a long time ago; admitted my weakness and asked for help.
You see, at the very basis of Christianity is the fact that man is not self-sufficient. We fundamentally believe that we are created and further that in God, we live, move and have our being. We often mistake the agency and liberty of choice bestowed on us by a loving God to be our own strength. We forget so easily.
Infact, aside from mere existence, the standard outlayed for the Christian- Godliness, Godlikenes- is far beyond anything that we in and of ourselves are able to conjure. We are living in a state weakened by sin for over 6000 years; how is it we claim to understand the extents of Godliness and much more the living out of it?
We first of all fail when we refuse to see our weakness. When we choose rather blindness to clear cumulative evidences of our desperate need for a Saviour. He/she who does not see their need, their weakness will not venture out for strength or a Saviour. God does not need to arbitrarily be involved to ensure our failure. It is the ultimate result of severing our souls from the source of life. When a branch is severed from the vine, it inevitably withers and dies. But God in His mercy wields our failure to bring us back to Himself.
Second we fail because we do not ask. When I realized the inevitable deterioration of my math grade, I had two options; to succumb and sink in despair or, to ask for help. Often when God brings my sin/weakness/ failure to live up to the standard set by Him, I have sank in despondency. But I am realizing that that is the deception of the devil. God never points out sin to condemn or revile. His word says;
KJV Romans 5
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
When I am shown how I am falling short by God, it is that He may grant grace, that He may send help.
KJV 2 Corinthians 12
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
But we fail because instead of praying in weakness, we despair. We fail when we do not take hold of the Omnipotent arm. God is willing to send grace, to send help more than we are to ask.
My math grade redemption was really in these two steps; I accepted my weakness, and asked for help. Yes, I got a good grade.
Soulsunshine 