No matter how hopeless a situation may seem, God’s grace is enough and always available

But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

-Romans 5:20

Sid caught himself as he was saying it, but it was too late to take it back. The words were already out. Up until then, he had kept the thought to himself. It was too harsh to say. Too condemning.

But not this time.

In frustration, he blurted these words accross the room to his wife: You’re so chronic.

He was angry. He was overwhelmed. He was exhausted and didn’t know what to do anymore. Now there they were, just the two of them, with his harsh words lingering in the air like smoke.

What did he mean by it? What was he saying?

Sid was simply airing out his frustration that nothing seemed to change for them. It felt like the two of them were stuck forever in the same broken state and he blamed her. Because she was chronic, they would never get to a better place.

But the truth was, Sid was talking to himself as much as he was to her. He knew that his issues were as persistent and problematic as her’s, maybe more. When he called her chronic, deep down he knew the label fit him just as well.

He knew that his constant anger, his pride, and his self-centeredness had damaged their relationship. It was his issues that had taken them to a breaking point. And if something didn’t happen, this would be their last go-around.

Grace intervened

In search of help, Sid went on a journey. It was time. He opened up his life to a trusted counselor. He also opened up his heart again to the Scriptures.

To Sid’s suprise, something redemptive began to happen. He started to understand that there was something even more chronic than he was, in a good way.

As Sid renewed his walk with God, he experienced personally the vast nature of God’s grace. It went a lot deeper than he ever realized.

You see, Sid was afraid that God had given up on him, because for the umpteenth time he had come up short as a person. He had been through the same scenario so many times he figured the Lord had run out of patience for him.

But now he understood that the grace of God was still there for him, as deep and wide as ever.

Chronic Meets its Match

It isn’t until you come face-to-face with your personal limitations that you can really appreciate the depths of God’s grace. Take it from the Apostle Paul, who had his own chronic issue. He called his vexing problem a “thorn in the flesh.” Though it isn’t clear exactly what Paul’s problem was, this is what he said about it:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

– 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Notice, God’s answer to Paul’s prayer was not to give him a problem-free life, but rather to give him the grace to live an empowered life, problems and all.

Sid’s Supplier

Day by day, Sid kept opening up his heart to God and God kept showing up. It was as if he was holding out an empty cup and God kept filling it. When he feared he had exhausted the supply of grace, he realized that wasn’t possible, for the Supplier was the Lord himself.

“God’s answer to Paul’s prayer was not to give him a problem-free life, but rather to give him the grace to live an empowered life, problems and all.”

Later, when Sid’s wife asked him, “Do you still think I’m chronic?” his reply testified to the grace of God.

He said to her, “Yes, I still think you’re chronic…chronically beautiful.”

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.