But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”     2 Corinthians 12:9 HCSB

I have come to realize that there are times when I am needlessly in distress. I say needlessly because I find myself getting upset about situations over which I have no control. These are situations that I should just hand over to God and be done with it. But that would mean admitting weakness, right?

I thought back to my time in law enforcement. As probation and parole officers, we often worked alone going into offender’s homes not knowing what we would face once inside. I prayed often and God took good care of me. In my 20 plus years, I can only recall two situations where a distress call went out over the radio.

When an officer calls out in distress or calls about an officer who is down, the calvary comes running. This will prompt all officers in that area from all different agencies to respond to that call. That’s a beautiful sight to see when you’re growing weary from a fight or have an angry crowd gathering or whatever type of stressful situation you may be in.

As Christians, we also find ourselves in times of distress. I still struggle with giving it all over to God and leaving it in His very capable hands. We don’t like to admit weakness, but there are times when we just need help. There are times when we can’t do it on our own strength or power. And there are situations that are just too big for us to handle.

If we rely on our pride, we are more likely to try to handle these situations and that could be a disaster. If we rely on God, we give it over to Him and trust Him to handle it in the best way because His way is always the best way.

In the academy we were told that the most important job we had on any given day was to make it home safely. We were warned against tombstone courage or being so prideful that we just refuse to ask for help even when we are outnumbered and/or outgunned.

God gives us armor to protect ourselves and this is listed in Ephesians 6:10-18. He also promises His protection in Psalm 91. Now the first verse of Psalm 91 tells us we have to choose to live in His shelter, He doesn’t force that on us.

God allows us to live our lives in pride and try to do it all on our own or He is right there ready to help us. It’s a choice we must make.

I have found that all my trying to fix things has only made me weaker. I am now boasting in my weakness because I know my weakness perfects His power. I also know that His power can make all things work out for my good as long as I love Him and do what He calls me to do (Romans 8:28).

If you have found yourself in distress, call on Him. He is the best back-up we can possibly have. We can trust in Him.

Have a great day!