“We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
When life presents circumstances contrary to our comfort zones, we have two options: we can wallow in misery or we can press in and lean to the God of comfort Who has said that He will always be with us. The choice to be miserable is easy because it doesn’t require any thought. The event happens, we become upset, and we don’t look for the message in the mess.
Becoming captive to misery is a particularly difficult bond to break. When I’ve allowed myself to become a slave to misery, I justify my place there because of my pain and my hurt. I convince myself and others that I belong there. This is simply a huge display of pride, because neither I nor anyone else belong in misery. Instead, we have all of the tools to be strengthened and encouraged. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul wrote, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.” We are strong enough to break from the captivity of misery.
The woman with the issue of blood was captive to her disease (Matthew 9:20–22, Mark 5:25–34, Luke 8:43–48). She had tried everything. We know the story: for 12 years, she had lived with this curse, a curse that made her miserable because it excluded her from the normalcies in life; she was deemed "unclean". When she heard that Jesus was in town, she made up her mind that she was going to defy the law and go out in public because she believed that just touching the fringes of His clothes would be enough to make her whole. She found strength! Instead of continuing to be miserable, she used that energy to make herself strong and doing so secured her healing. She secured her freedom and her health by escaping the captivity of her misery.
Paul wrote “The Epistle of Joy” while held captive in a jail that was located in the very bowels of the city (the sewer.) Yet, he wrote to the Philippians about joy. He strengthened himself in the loving knowledge of a Christ Who died for him, in a God Who had saved him, and he declared that he could do all things through Christ, Who is our strength! (Philippians 4:13) It takes a decision to be strong. It is a choice to lean towards the hard work of building your faith because it is hard work! But it is so worth it! The woman with the issue of blood was healed. Paul’s letter has encouraged millions. We, too, can devote our energies to being strong when misery drops by for a visit. Resist.
Prayer for Release: Father God, your grace and mercy has made a way where I don’t have to be captive to anything except Your love. Help me to break free of the pride and selfishness of choosing misery over freedom.