His Grace is Sufficient

I recently made the decision to end an exclusive dating relationship. It hadn't been going on that long, but it was still a very difficult decision because I really liked the guy, as a person. One of the hardest aspects of the decision was knowing that I would be automatically thrown back into the dating pool of life. A place where I often tend to lose hope. 

As I was facing my discomfort with (somewhat) willingly going back into that world of "single and looking" I was at a church one Sunday and as I was going back to my seat after Communion, I distinctly felt like God reminded me of this verse: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Jesus' grace is sufficient for me during my time of being single and dating. His grace is sufficient for me. Grace is unmerited favor. When something is sufficient it is enough, adequate, even ample.

So, what does it mean if His grace is sufficient for me?

When you believe something is sufficient or adequate, you act on it. To use the old chair analogy, when you approach a chair, you sit in it, fully believing that it will be adequate at holding your weight. Similarly, do I look to my relationship with God and His grace in my life to stave off depression, hopelessness, and utter ruin (I like to catastrophize) in my life?

It's a choice to look for His grace in your life. I can choose to focus on my pain and fears, or I can choose to look for and see His grace. I'll be honest, I often choose to dwell on my pain and fears, but that's, well, painful and eventually I don't want to hurt anymore. I don't want to live in fear. Especially when there's so much beauty and grace all around us. But that means I have to choose. In the midst of feeling lost, scared, and like nothing is enough. When all I want to do is eat a dozen cookies and pull the covers over my head, I have to ask God to give me eyes to see.

And where do I see His sufficient grace? Personally, I see it most profoundly in other people. In the care and love my friends show me, in the kindness of my coworkers, laughing with my family, visiting with college students I work with, and even in random interactions with strangers. But I also experience it in nature, animals, music, humor, art, and even YouTube videos. I truly think the grace of God is everywhere, if we just look for it.

And Jesus wasn't just talking about being single, His grace is sufficient, adequate, and ample no matter what you're struggling with in life. I encourage you to do an experiment: ask Him to give you eyes to see His grace and then, look for it, see it, and truly enjoy it.