Two Choices: Works or Grace?

Seven Things That Steal Your Joy: Overcoming the Obstacles to Your Happiness
by Joyce Meyer

ONE

You have only one life to live, and you have a right to enjoy it. But one of the main things that will keep you from enjoying your life is works of the flesh. Works of the flesh are attempts to accomplish through your own energy things that are God's job.

And trying to do what only God can do always leads to frustration. Trusting God to do what only He can do always leads to joy because “what is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

Jesus said, “My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We become frustrated when we try to achieve by works a life that God not only brought into being but designed to be received by grace. Grace is the power of God to meet our needs and solve our problems.

I was living a frustrated, complicated, joyless life many years ago before I began to seriously seek God for answers to my problem of a lack of peace and joy. When I had a problem or a need, I tried to help myself and work things out in my own way, which never produced any good results. The Word of God and my personal experience have taught me that the way to avoid the frustration of fleshly works is to ask God for help.

LET GOD HELP YOU

At times, all of us are guilty of trying to handle our circumstances instead of trusting God to take care of them for us. It is not a sign of weakness to admit that we cannot help ourselves- it is the truth. Jesus said, “Apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

You may be frustrated, struggling, and unhappy simply because you are trying to fix something you cannot do anything about. You may be trying to change something that only God can change. Perhaps you have a situation in your life that you don't want, and you are trying to get rid of it.

If you are like most people, you will worry, fret, and work yourself to a frazzle until you realize that only God can get rid of it for you.

Maybe there is something you do want and are trying hard to get, yet nothing you try is working, and it is frustrating you. In that case, the only thing you can do is back off and wait on God. While you are waiting for God to take care of the situation, I encourage you to enjoy the wait.

That may be hard because it takes patience, but it pays marvelous dividends in the end. Waiting on God honors Him, and the Bible says that the person who honors God will be honored by Him.

LEAVE IT IN GOD'S HANDS

Suppose you feel you can't wait to get married, so you decide to find the perfect mate for yourself instead of waiting on God to work it out for you.

It would be a terrible mistake to become so desperate that you settle for someone who is not right for you. It would be much better to wait until God brings you a divine connection.

Maybe you are married, and you have been thinking, I want my spouse to change. I just can't put up with my partner anymore.

You cannot change your spouse; only God can. But God does not move in your life when you struggle and try to take matters into your own hands. He moves when you trust Him. So I suggest that you pray, cast your care on the Lord, leave your hands off the situation, trust God, and go ahead and enjoy your life.

It may not be a marital situation you want changed. You may feel that you want your kids to change, or you want more money, or you may want a different job.

We all have something going on in our lives we would like to see change for the better. Desiring change is just part of living.

You are always going to want something in your life to be different. So if you want an enjoyable life, sooner or later you must learn to quit trying to make things happen yourself.

Numerous times I struggled while trying to change my husband, trying to change my kids, trying to change myself, yet I failed every time. I probably struggled with changing myself more than anything or anyone else.

The truth is you can't really change yourself. You can only tell God that you want to change and that you are willing to change. You can only throw open your life to Him every day by praying, and leave the rest to Him. Ask for God's help by praying this prayer:

Lord, work in me and change me. I know I can't do it myself. I know I can't make it happen, and it's not my place to make it happen. But I want You to do it, Lord, because I believe that only You can do it right.

In Mark 9:23, Jesus says that all things are possible to him who believes-not to him who comes up with a bright idea and a big plan and tries to make it work.

Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer

About the Author

JOYCE MEYER has been teaching the Word of God since 1976 and in full-time ministry since 1980. She is the bestselling author of more than fifty inspirational books, including How to Hear from God, Knowing God Intimately, and Battlefield of the Mind. She has also released thousands of teaching cassettes and a complete video library. Joyce's Enjoying Everyday Life radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences.