Getting To The End Of Yourself
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1
Manley Beasley was an evangelist who made an incredible impact for the kingdom of God. He had several health problems throughout his life, including kidney disease that required frequent dialysis and eventually took his life. But even in the midst of his suffering, Manley’s faith never wavered.
I love Manley's definition of faith: “Faith is believing that it is so when it is not so, so that it can be so because God has said so.”
You might say, “That sounds like a positive thinking.” But I would disagree. Positive thinking is a strong wish. Faith says because God says so, I am choosing to believe that it is so, not because I want it so but because God said so.
Manley went on to say: “When we get to the end of ourselves, it is then that God takes over. When we recognize our weakness, it is then that God will show Himself adequate for whatever the situation may be.”
Our problem with having faith normally originates with our struggle to come to the end of ourselves. Until we do this, we will never live by faith, because we choose to trust our abilities more than the ability of God; we trust our dreams more than the purposes of God; we trust our steps more than the will of God. We will never really look to God until we stop looking to ourselves.
What will it take to get to the end of yourself? Resistance to brokenness is caused by pride. Until pride is broken in your life, you will never experience God’s deliverance or power in your life. You will never be able to exercise faith until you get to the end of yourself and stop saying, “God, I can take care of this, I can fix this, I can work through this. I can sort this out.”
Faith is never exercised until you lose confidence in yourself and lean into God.
Manley Beasley was an evangelist who made an incredible impact for the kingdom of God. He had several health problems throughout his life, including kidney disease that required frequent dialysis and eventually took his life. But even in the midst of his suffering, Manley’s faith never wavered.
I love Manley's definition of faith: “Faith is believing that it is so when it is not so, so that it can be so because God has said so.”
You might say, “That sounds like a positive thinking.” But I would disagree. Positive thinking is a strong wish. Faith says because God says so, I am choosing to believe that it is so, not because I want it so but because God said so.
Manley went on to say: “When we get to the end of ourselves, it is then that God takes over. When we recognize our weakness, it is then that God will show Himself adequate for whatever the situation may be.”
Our problem with having faith normally originates with our struggle to come to the end of ourselves. Until we do this, we will never live by faith, because we choose to trust our abilities more than the ability of God; we trust our dreams more than the purposes of God; we trust our steps more than the will of God. We will never really look to God until we stop looking to ourselves.
What will it take to get to the end of yourself? Resistance to brokenness is caused by pride. Until pride is broken in your life, you will never experience God’s deliverance or power in your life. You will never be able to exercise faith until you get to the end of yourself and stop saying, “God, I can take care of this, I can fix this, I can work through this. I can sort this out.”
Faith is never exercised until you lose confidence in yourself and lean into God.
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3 Comments
May I always be leaning into God to help me in all circumstances ?
Powerful message. One to live by daily.
When I lost all my pride and didn't have the answers anymore didn't know where to turn and didn't understand why, that's when I turned to Jesus, I had no other choice in my pain. Thanks be to God.
nMatthew 16:24 CSB — Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.