...today

    I arise today

    Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

    Through belief in the Threeness,

    Through confession of the Oneness

    of the Creator of creation.

“I arise today through a mighty strength.” 

Oh, wouldn’t that be nice to say every morning? But what is true for so many of us on too many mornings is “I arise today through a fog of forgetfulness.” We have to claw our way out of the cloying depths of unbelief back into the dawning light of truth and breath.

Different mornings provide alternative options of discouragement. Thoughts that frequently take our hearts captive upon arising include:

    It’s going to be a bad day.

    I don’t want to get up.

    You are a failure as a mother, father, friend...

    You do not love well.

    You are alone.

    You are on the outside.

    You are a selfish person.

    This is all too hard.

    And repeat.

    Do you know what yours are?

This morning, I arose through a veil of guilt and accusation. Today’s litany coming against me was a shorter version. The accuser was battering my heart with Failure. Failure. Failure.

The crushing weight of shame was reinforced by memories (cruelly twisted but seemingly real interpretations) of my failings, evidence parading across my mind that I was not being a good friend, wife, or mother.

But the prayer continues:

    I arise today

    Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,

    Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,

    Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,

    Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

We don’t arise through our strength to figure it out or to pull it off or to change or to become an amazing person who loves everyone at all times perfectly. We certainly don’t arise today by arguing ourselves and the oppressor of our souls out of accusation.

We arise today and every day by turning our gaze onto Jesus and what He has accomplished for us — because we needed Him to accomplish it. Romans 8:1!

We don’t arise today by our strength but by His.

-stasi eldredge