True Strength - Part 3

"but practically...?"

all of these thoughts merely exist as thoughts until you face that physical, mental, or emotional challenge in life. what do you think of God when you have to study for that insane medical Step 1 exam or the bar exam? do you sense that power "in your inner being" when you train and run for that marathon? do you really feel God's love when someone brutally murders your family member... or commits a horrendous crime against you? what about painful rejection? what about failure? what about my aforementioned case of constant mental/emotional oppression? what about when you're fully happy with everything that you have and feel like you don't need christ's love?

when those moments come, we face the constant decision - what's more real and lasting... Christ's love, or the current situation? and we have this hope... maybe we won't be able to handle those situations now, but God will show His favor in the precise amount in the precise time that we need it. it's the object of our hope and perception of true reality that tends to define what we do to prepare for or deal with those critical moments. so here's the challenge - what do you really believe to be true? what do you really trust to have final authority over the outcome of events in your life?

the practical thing feels impractical, but that constant mental refreshment of belief in Christ changes our very existence. and as we change, our actions change too. as completely new people in christ, we put off our old ways of handling life and put on our new selves. herein lies the sole source of true strength in life...