With God, All Things Are Possible
With God, All Things Are Possible
Yesterday, during our church’s worship gathering, one of the pastors asked two questions:
What’s something in your life that feels impossible right now?
Have you given it to God, and if not, will you?
Almost immediately, I could name an “impossible” thing in my life.
Impossible, because I’ve had a desire to do it for months—maybe even years—but have lacked the self-discipline, or maybe the endurance to actually do it.
I’ve tried and failed, and tried and failed, and tried and given up. Not given up forever, but taken a break from trying, because frankly, I was exhausting myself (mentally, emotionally, and physically) in the trying. In the striving.
The longer I walk with Jesus, the more convinced I’m becoming that “striving” is a dirty, faithless word for Believers. It isn’t a good fit for those of us who bear the name of Jesus.
We humans strive without God, because we have no other choice. On our own, striving is our best option. It’s futile and exhausting, but it’s also all we’ve got.
But God’s children are not without Him! We are with Him, and He is with us, pouring out His grace on our lives, giving us everything (every instruction, every resource, every ounce of energy and willpower and determination) that we need—in Him—to accomplish anything and everything He is stirring up in us and wanting us to be successful in doing, for our good and His glory!
As the question, “What’s something in your life that feels impossible right now?” was asked yesterday, the Spirit immediately brought to mind Jesus’ words:
“With man, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible” (see Matthew 19:16-26).
Jesus was responding to a specific question about a specific impossibility for a specific man, and He acknowledged that that thing was impossible for that imperfect man to accomplish on his own. But I love how Jesus started with “it”—that one issue—but ended with “all things.” Because Jesus could’ve just addressed that one man’s issue, but instead, He spoke a truth that all of us would need to hear at least once in our own lives, with regard to our own varied impossibilities…
Impossible greed problem? Not impossible with God.
Impossible anger issue? Not impossible with God.
Impossible lust problem? Not impossible with God.
Impossible impulsive tendencies that land you in trouble? Not impossible with God.
Impossible addiction to drugs or alcohol or porn or gambling or sweets or shopping or social media or [fill in the blank with your dopamine dealer of choice]? Not impossible with God.
Impossible bitter feelings toward someone? Not impossible with God.
Impossible unruly tongue (or tippy-tappy-typy fingers)? Not impossible with God.
Impossible hateful or racist or judgmental thoughts? Not impossible with God.
Impossible habit to break? Not impossible with God.
Whatever that seemingly impossible thing is—if it’s impossible for you, it’s not impossible with God.
This is what the Apostle Paul was talking about when he said, “I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Through Christ who strengthens us, we can learn to live without any pleasures or comforts God asks us to give up…
Through Christ who strengthens us, we can begin to think differently, believe differently, act differently...
Through Christ who strengthens us, we can become exactly who we are meant to be, for God’s glory and our good!
If God is asking us to do an impossible thing, He’s not asking us to muster up the grit to get it done ourselves. He’s saying, “I know that’s impossible for you… but with Me, it’s possible, because nothing is impossible for Me. So, let’s do it together.”
God’s ask is an invitation, not just to believe Him, but to go with Him and do that hard thing together. How beautiful is that!?
So, that impossible thing that God has already given me a desire to accomplish… I’m going to go do it, with Him, because nothing is impossible with God.
How about you, my friend?
Lord, I believe… but help my unbelief. Because I don’t need greater self-mastery to lead where You follow; I need more faith, and even faith is a gift I must receive from You.
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