There are times in everyone’s life when he or she feels alone; times when we may feel that the odds are all stacked against us.  None of us particularly enjoys those times…

These are the times when we must draw nearer to our Lord, and yet they are the times when it is tough to do, for we feel unworthy or cast aside.  But have we been cast aside?  No.  Are we really unworthy?  That depends on how you choose to view the situation! As Christians we have been saved by Christ’s atoning sacrifice.  We are sinners and thus unworthy of God’s presence, but we have been forgiven by His grace and may approach His throne with confidence.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

(Galatians 3:26-27)

We fall short sometimes, we mess up sometimes, we disappoint ourselves and others sometimes… and undoubtedly we disappoint our Lord sometimes.  We also can ask forgiveness and be received as sons of God. Yes, we need to move forward and do our best not to fail again, but this process is not one in which we are entitled to any special treatment by God because our own powers and accomplishments, for this approach is nothing more than human vanity.

Our strength is in our relationship with Christ, whether we are weak or strong in human terms.  It is our relationship with him that enables us to draw near to God, not our own goodness.  It is also our relationship with Him that may enable us to go forward leading a better life than we have in the past. Thus, I think we can say that in such times it is our relationship with Christ that requires our full attention.