The Ephesus Pages Devotional: Ties That Bind Us

 “I point to the weak moments in my life not to offer evidence of who I am, but to illustrate where my path has taken me.  Finding your way amid the chaos of what lies within is never easy, dear one, but facing that chaos will show you the way of glory. In finding my way, I found confidence in who I was created to be...”

~ John Mark ~

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At this point in John Mark’s story, he is beginning to see that there are things in his life that are worth reflecting upon. One aspect of life he is beginning to understand is that it is often the weakest moments that reveal the most to us. We should not see our weaknesses as stains upon who we are but as opportunities for growth and transformation. There is beauty found in our struggles, and they are the very foundation of what our strengths become. 

Life is a continuing journey that will take us through a roller coaster of experiences in life. Some of those experiences will be filled with joyful thoughts and feelings and still others will be profoundly challenging. It is in our moments of weakness and chaos that we often find our true selves. A while back, I had this image in my head of being lost in a giant forest with nothing but a dim light to lead me through all that was around me. 

That sense of being lost was overwhelming to me, but what I am learning is that even though I am still following that dimply lit path, I am taking a step of faith and navigating that chaos to the best of my ability. It is never easy to admit that you are struggling, especially in a format like this, but the reality is that we are all struggling. Finding our way amid that chaos will show us where we are heading. 

There is a passage in 2nd Corinthians that reminds us that “HIS grace is sufficient for us and HIS power is made perfect in our weakness.” These words remind us we do not have to hide our struggles, our weaknesses, or our pain from the world around us. Instead, just as John Mark is doing here in this week’s quote, we should embrace them. Why? Well, because each trial we face is an opportunity to deepen our trust in God’s plan. A plan that will help us grow stronger in our faith. 

In finding our way through the chaos, we begin to accept that our weaknesses do not define us. In truth, it is our weaknesses that will reveal the strength and resilience God has planted within our hearts and minds. God walks with us through and with every step, he guides us to the path we are meant to travel upon. Even when things seem to be the worst they have ever been, we can find strength through prayer, scripture, and community with others. 

Scripture is filled with stories of individuals who faced incredible challenges and even though it is not in the way we expect, we will always come out on the other side. In our own lives, there are examples of how God has helped us find our way, whether we can see it or not. The path ahead may be filled with things we don’t understand and difficulties we never imagined we would face, but they are also filled with moments of genuine revelation and growth. 

One of my favorite passages in scripture comes from Hebrews 10:24-25. In that passage, we are encouraged to “consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds as we see the day drawing near” and that passage has always reminded me we can find our way through the chaos that life throws in our path. While it may seem as if we face that path alone, there are always others willing to help us along the way. 

Remind yourself often that you are not alone. Embrace the journey ahead with courage and faith, but make every effort to step in the way of glory. The weak moments we face do not have to be classified as failures. Instead, let’s call the moment we embraced resilience and the transformative power of God in our lives.

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“My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of
my heart and my portion forever.”

~ Psalm 73:26 (NASB) ~