Trust in God's Strength

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Proper 18 BCP 233)

As Admiral Ackbar, from the Star Wars series, says most famously, "It's a trap!" Trusting in our own strength and ability is most definitely a trap. Throughout the Bible there are stories of humans trying to do things on their own strength and failing miserably, while there are also many stories of people doing things in God's way, even when it seems like it won't work, but it does. When we trust in our own strength or abilities only, we become proud and believe we don't need God. And we all know that saying about pride... (an adaptation of a verse from Proverbs) "Pride comes before the fall." 

Thankfully, when we trust in God's strength and mercy, we always know the outcome will be for good. We might not always like the outcome as much, but we know that we are following God's will and God will lead us in the right direction. Being disciples of Jesus means trusting in God's strength instead of our own. Trusting in God's strength looks like giving struggles into God's hands through prayer or meditation, by listening for God's guidance instead of relying on your own. Today, instead of trusting on your own strength to get you through and feeling drained by trying to keep up, put your trust in God and rest in God's strength and mercy.