Overcoming challenges through faith

Life often presents challenges that expose our weaknesses and limitations. Whether physical, emotional, or mental, we all have shortcoming that can seem insurmountable says Fr Alvan Ibeh, in his regular Voice of Hope column.

Dear friends as we gradually come to the end of this year, we give thanks to God for bringing us thus far. In the next couple of weeks, the 2024 flight will be landing. I pray that we all will land safely and that none of us will be missing when we will be boarding the next flight – flight 2025. Amen.

Life often presents challenges that expose our weaknesses and limitations. Whether physical, emotional, or mental, we all have shortcoming that can seem insurmountable.

However, scripture teaches that our limitations should never prevent us from fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. God has a perfect plan and purpose for each of us, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. (Jer 29:11). So, we shouldn’t allow any shortcomings or limitations of ours to stop us from fulfilling our God-given dreams and aspirations. Even in the remaining part of this year, you still have the opportunity to achieve that which you set out to achieve at the beginning of this year, relying not on your strength and not looking at your shortcomings and limitations, but looking up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2), in whose strength you can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

The Bible is full of examples of individuals who overcame their shortcomings, not through their own strength, but by relying on God’s grace, power, and wisdom. We will look at our brother St Paul in this article and I will be writing more on this topic in my next book- “A fountain of hope, book 2”, which should be out by God’s grace in January 2025.

One of the most profound scriptures that highlight the power of God’s grace in our weakness is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Here, the Apostle Paul, after pleading with God to remove a “thorn in the flesh,” is told: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul responds by declaring: “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

In this passage, we learn that our weaknesses are not a barrier to God’s word but an opportunity for His power to be revealed. Rather than allowing our limitations to paralyze us, we can lean on God’s grace, knowing that His strength is made perfect in our inadequacies. St Paul’s thorn, though a limitation, became a means for God’s power to be displayed.

Is there anything stopping you? No matter what you think it might be, we are called to trust God, to rely on His strength, and to step out in faith, knowing that He can do immeasurably more through us than we can imagine, even in the midst of our weaknesses. So, I say to you: “Don’t let anything stop you. Keep going, and by God’s grace and strength, you will reach your expected end, amen. God bless you.

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