I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
1 corinthians 15:10
Where did Paul get the energy to do the work he was called to do? Paul tells us what he endured as an apostle. He was beaten, stoned, lashed, and shipwrecked. He lists days without food, nights without sleep, and exposure to danger and cold. And then he says, “There is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:28).
These are good verses to reach for when you are tempted to feel sorry for yourself. You read them and you wonder, Where did he get the staying power to keep going? And right here, he gives us the answer: I worked as I did because of “the grace of God that is with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). God’s presence with me and His kindness toward me kept me going.
You may be facing an overwhelming challenge. God has given you a task that feels beyond you. You find yourself saying, “I don’t think I can do this.” Oh, yes you can! The grace of the risen Lord Jesus Christ is with you. His presence and power will sustain you, and He will enable you to do all that He has called you to do.
What overwhelming task are you facing? Like Paul, commit to completing your work by the grace of God that is with you.
