Free Grace Women

By Kelley Easley 

To say that I am not technologically savvy would be a huge understatement. Because my phone is always running out of charge, some thoughtful friends sent me a power bank all the way from another continent. It seemed like a perfect solution except, true to form, I haven’t figured out how to use it! As a result, I commonly see a little message popping up on my phone, warning me that I am in “low-power mode.” Well, this frequent warning has gotten me thinking: Am I operating in “low-power mode” in my spiritual life, too? 

The past few years have been grueling. Job loss, serious health issues, and the emotional strain of living through a pandemic have left our family feeling beyond depleted. Already lacking bandwidth, this year I am also now teaching five classes at my children’s homeschooling co-op. And while I greatly love teaching, and the kiddos I get to teach, I have to admit that I’m exhausted—and the semester has only just begun! At home, an endless list of chores await my return, and by the end of each day, I’m absolutely spent. 

I’m reminded of the popular Christian quip, “When you’re down to nothing, God is up to something.” As cliché as that saying is, I believe there’s some truth in it. For one thing, a lack of resources or ability on our part causes us to lean hard into Him and tap into His resources instead of our own. One passage of Scripture that the Holy Spirit has brought to my mind over and over again throughout the past two years is a portion of 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NIV): 

“…We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 

Of course, this runs contrary to human nature. In the flesh, we depend on our own strength. Beyond that, our culture encourages and celebrates self-reliance. Another common religious platitude suggests that “God helps those who help themselves.” But while the saying may be commonplace, it’s certainly not Biblical. In fact, the very opposite is true. Later on in 2 Corinthians, Paul echoes his earlier statement: 

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV). 

Earthen vessels are fragile and prone to breakage. Not exactly a picture of durability or strength. The imagery is a vivid reminder of our own frailty and insufficiency. And the Lord knows it. Psalm 103:14 states, “For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust” (NASB 1995). The NET Bible renders it this way: “For he knows what we are made of; he realizes we are made of clay.” Just like the earthen vessels. 

He knows we lack the needed strength and power to accomplish all that He has called us to accomplish in this life. Jesus Himself reminds us of this fact in John 15:5, going so far as to say, “apart from Me, you can do nothing.” (NASB 1995). The NKJV says, “without Me…” I think that’s even clearer. 

In 1776, hymn writer Augustus Toplady penned the lines to “Rock of Ages.” The following stanza is a poignant tribute to God’s grace contrasted with our insufficiency in salvation: 

“Nothing in my hand I bring, 

Simply to Thy cross I cling; 

Naked, come to Thee for dress; 

Helpless, look to Thee for grace; 

Foul, I to the fountain fly; 

Wash me, Savior, or I die.” 

It’s funny. Even though we readily admit that we can’t do anything to earn our salvation or maintain it, recognizing that the effort is 100% God’s and 0% ours, we tend to shift back into self-effort when it comes to sanctification. When it comes to living out the Christian walk, we often forego the grace and strength available to us and choose instead to “go it alone.” 

When I was in high school, I attended a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous with a friend who was battling addiction. I remember him talking a few weeks later about something called “white knuckle sobriety.” In the recovery movement, I believe the idea centered around an addict attempting to maintain his or her sobriety without attending meetings or having the regular support of a group. It strikes me that this is exactly what we do when we attempt to live the Christian life apart from the Spirit’s enabling power. 

But if it’s clear that we can’t do anything apart from Him, how do we appropriate His strength and power? How can we exchange our own limited resources for His infinite supply? 

The answer lies in the first part of Jesus’s statement in John 15:5: 

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (NKJV)

If we want to live fully charged, we must plug into the power source. As believers, we can’t function optimally if we are cut off from the stream. Indeed, He never expected us to. Scripture assures us of His intent to help. In Isaiah 40:29, we are told, “He gives strength to the weary, and to the one who lacks might He increases power.” (NASB)

When we find ourselves in situations and circumstances where our abilities fail and our resources are lacking, we can go to Him in prayer and ask for His assistance, trusting Him to supply it. As we rely on Him, and experience His power in place of our weakness, our faith in Him grows. Hopefully over time, a habit forms whereby our initial response to difficult situations is to call on Him for aid and learn to operate in His strength vs. our own. 

Not that I have this down—far from it! I’m just beginning to scratch the surface here, but I long to grasp the truth of Jesus’s words to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness,” and to be able to say with him:

“Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NKJV)

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