A Counter-Culture Economy

“As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.” Psalm 138:3 

“Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.” It was the fourth time that day I knelt in my bedroom over the old-fashioned ottoman crying out to the Lord.

Weakness has a way of forcing me to my knees.

That was a dark time in my life. I’d moved away from my friends, my church, and my life in sunny Florida to farm in North Carolina. And did I mention Tom and I brought my 92-year-old mother? And that we didn’t know anything about farming except for YouTube University?

As soon as I bowed down during those times, I felt lifted up. The Lord gave me just enough strength to make it a few hours and then it was time to kneel again.

The weakness continues. At first, it overwhelmed me, now I thank the Lord for it. Because it causes dependence.

2 Corinthians 12:9 states,

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me."

Seems odd, doesn’t it?

But then what Jesus said and did was usually contrary to the culture.

Still is.

For instance, Our culture says, You are strong-you can do it!
Jesus says, You have no strength, let Me do it.
Our culture says, Look out for yourself. 
Jesus says, Serve others like I have served you.
Our culture says, Get all you can get in this life because you can’t take it with you.
Jesus says, Invest in heaven because you can take those investments with you.

God’s economy is not like the world’s economy. It pays eternal dividends and never rusts or fades.

During a time when my elderly parents lived with me, dad lost both legs to diabetes. I was almost at a breaking point when a dear saint from my church dropped in. She was not empty-handed. She brought two full meals from a local deli, paper plates, napkins, and silverware.

It probably cost her about $40. I still remember that day. She was a cup of cold water. A cool breeze in hot summer. My weakness gave her a chance to minister. I cried out, the Lord sent my friend to minister to my family.

I feel like in God’s economy that kind act is exponential. When I get to heaven, I will look her up and thank her again.

You know what she will probably say? I suspect it will be something like, “Thank the Lord.”

And I will.

Copyright © 2019 Pauline Hylton, used with permission.