Quit what I cannot Quit

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Elizabeth Welte in Victory Call

For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. 2 Corinthians 13:4

 

Years ago I was recently in Pigeon Forge, TN taking a training course, as I prepare for Recovery Coach Certification through Grace Fellowship International- founded by Dr. Charles Solomon.

In our training handbook, which is a few inches thick, there is a prayer that keeps rolling around in my head, or at least part of it.

“… Glorify and manifest Your Son in my life.  I am trusting you to do what I can’t do, quit what I can’t quit, and, most of all, to be what I can’t be…”[i]

Is there anything in your life that you have tried and tried to overcome but just can’t seem to get a handle on?  Or maybe like me, just can’t quite wrap your mind around your inability to overcome it on your own?  I think I SHOULD be able to conquer it, yet time and time again I fail.

The Christian walk is not meant to be walked in our own strength with self as our life-source, after all, Jesus came for that very purpose.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

I am reminded of these powerful truths which I know but seem to forget far too easily falling back on my own strength.

To be strong we must become weak.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 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

How contrary to my thinking. I was brought up to be strong, confident, independent, and self-sufficient which served me well in sports, college and career but not so much in my Christian walk. It is a big step of growth to realize there are things I cannot do, things I cannot quit and a person I cannot be apart from Christ.

I prayed often:

Lord, quit what I can’t quit [NOT Lord, HELP ME quit what I can’t quit; but quit what I can’t quit, HE must do the quitting – I must appropriate His life in me by faith]

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11

This can be applied to any area of life:

Lord, love those I cannot love, be kind to those I cannot be kind to, encourage those I cannot encourage, serve those I don’t want to serve, be silent when I want to speak, hug those when I want to walk away, and on and on the list goes for us all.

The Christ-centered life is Jesus living His life through us appropriated by faith.

…the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

 

[i] Dr. Charles Solomon, Grace Fellowship International.

 

Written by Diane Hunt: Diane Hunt serves on the board of America’s Keswick and is the Executive Director & CEO of Changed Choices, a Christian non-profit in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.

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This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1