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Beyond Ourselves Dr. Charles Stanley Some experiences of life are beyond our control. When Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee with the promise of joining them later, they had no idea what awaited them mid-voyage. But as the sea began to roll and lightning paraded across the horizon, they realized they were in for a serious storm. Suddenly and without warning, it hit. West winds during the rainy seasons on Galilee are notoriously strong. And even though seasoned fishermen were at the helm, their skills were no match for the gale that was brewing. Should they turn back? It was out of the question; they were too far out at sea. Then in the fourth watch of the night, as the tiny fishing boat was being battered by the waves, Jesus came to them. Matthew reports the fear that swept among them. [The Lord] came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, It is a ghost!' And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid' (Matthew 14:25-27). There are times when each of us faces circumstances that can, suddenly and without warning, become too much for us to handle alone. Jesus knew exactly what He was doing by waiting until the fourth watch of the night, almost 3:00a.m., to come to the disciples. By this time they had wrestled with their thoughts, struggled with their fears, and become exhausted in their human capability. They were ready for a workable solution. The apostle Paul found the solution he needed to face life's tribulations on the Damascus Road. But he had no idea where his new commitment to Christ would take him. By the time he wrote his letters to the Corinthians, he had faced severe beatings, hunger, and near death by stoning. He writes in 2 Corinthians that he had survived a shipwreck and tells of the daily pressure upon him concerning all the churches he had helped to establish. With stresses like these, what kept Paul from losing heart? Did he not struggle with thoughts of fear and discouragement? Yes. However, Paul came to a point of contact with God. We sense his unswaying determination as he explains his perspective: For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Paul was not hung up on shadowy details and the “what if's?” of life. He had been given a commission, and there was only one way to see it through, and that was by placing his trust in Someone stronger and more powerful than he - the Lord Jesus Christ. He writes: For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. (2 Corinthians 1:8-10). Paul was not writing about having a simple flu or cold. The Greek word for affliction means crushing pressure. He was in a situation where he felt crushed by the pressure of his circumstances. Burdened excessively is a term used of a slow, sinking ship. Paul was weighted down beyond his ability to cope. He was sinking in his hope. You may have suffered some sort of abuse by another individual, someone you loved and trusted. The thought of giving up may seem appealing because you no longer have the strength to continue. Or you may work in an environment that is anti-Christian. All you can think of doing is walking away. Situations like these are not just confined to the home or the workplace. Many Christian young people face them as well. In the classroom, professors bombard them with hedonistic ethics based on their own world-view philosophies. Your situation may be one of endurance with no way of escape. This is exactly where the apostle Paul found himself. He battled frustration, feelings of hostility, rejection - just as you do - sometimes on a daily, if not hourly, basis. We need to ask God to make it perfectly clear what type of situation we are facing - one in which we are called to endure or one in which He will make a way of escape. It is always a matter of trusting Him. Physical abuse, especially to the point of serious and continual danger, needs to be dealt with either by a minister or someone who is trained and capable of offering solid, confidential, and competent help. Though you feel you are alone and there is no one to turn to, Jesus will not abandon you. He will help you find your way through the storm. Just as He came to the disciples, He will come to you. It was by His very presence that the winds ceased to blow and the sea became calm. It is not so much what Jesus did that brought an end to the storm, it was who He is - the Son of God. When the pressure built and thoughts of quitting tried to captivate Paul's thinking, the reality of God's presence sustained him. The Lord never gave Paul six months off the endurance track; the more he learned, the stronger he became spiritually. For the disciples and the early church, faith building exercises often came through hardships and trials. However, in the midst of trouble they carried with them the promises of Jesus. Victory and blessing ultimately came to those who clung to their faith. Paul and Peter and the others who followed Jesus understood that the source of their strength was not in being physically or mentally strong; it was in living and abiding in Christ by faith. They learned that when they awoke in the morning, Jesus was with them. When they laid down to sleep at night, He stood guard over their lives. God never sleeps; He watches over us to protect and steer us away from heartache and trouble. He is perfectly plugged in to our lives. The problem usually comes in our inability to abide in Him. When Christ is our central focus, we want to live for Him, and He strengthens us for every good work. Paul admonishes the Ephesians with these words: Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. (6:10). God strengthens you to do anything that is in keeping with His will. Whatever He calls you to do, He equips you to accomplish the task. This means you have to be willing to step out beyond yourself in order for His plan to become a reality in your life. None of us like feeling weak and out of control. But there is a greater strength in weakness than what we can imagine. When we admit our weakness, He takes up the slack and puts life in the right perspective. Paul prayed that the Ephesians' hearts would be enlightened to the hope of God's calling. (Ephesians 1:18) Many people live in hopelessness because they have never come to the realization of all God has for them. They believe a lie and tell themselves that because of their past or some habit or sin, God could not possibly love them. The truth is God loves them with an everlasting love. His compassion is tailored to meet each need completely. He never changes in His love nor does He threaten to withhold His affections because of something you did or did not do. If you come to Him, no matter where you are in life, God rushes to meet you. Jesus told the story of the prodigal son for one reason, to portray God's unconditional love. (Luke 15:11-32) All the power, love, and encouragement you need to go beyond whatever you face is available to you through Jesus Christ. It isn't something you have to beg for or plead to receive. The moment you accept Him as your Savior, it is given to you by God. When we declare our inability, God's strength is activated in our lives. You too can experience the joy and peace of God. Ask Him to reveal any area in your life that is not yielded to Him. Then without compromise, give it to Him. You will never regret this step of faith and obedience. Only as we move beyond ourselves do we find His grace sufficient for every need.