I Can Do All Things

Submitted by Lara Cook

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13

Who is willing to surrender to the Kingdom of God like this?  This is a note handed to our Pastor this past week by a member of our congregation. His personal information has been marked through out of respect for him.  He wants to serve,  At any cost. He has been relentess in his inquiries about where he can serve and how he can do more.  He is not unsure or fearful about his decision to serve God in any way.  

Sometimes God asks us to do something that is out of our comfort zone or feeling of competence. He tests our faith as to whether we will believe enough to follow.  It may simply be a Scripture passage that calls for us to obey Him, to change our lifestyle, or to reorient our thoughts toward God.  It may be to speak out when we are not sure we know what to say. (Ask Moses about this one.)  It may be to pick up from where we are and move, change jobs, enter full-time Christian service, go back to school, or any number of things in our lives.  It seems there is one common denominator to God’s requests…He wants us to change something. But we may balk at His request.  In the history of God’s people, you will find many people who, when God spoke, had an immediate crisis of belief.

Would God ever ask you to do something that you were not able to do? All the time!  How significant is it when God speaks to you?  What you do next will reveal what you believe about God.  The greatest crisis is not that we don’t know the will of God; it is when we know the will of God but choose not to obey. 

 Many different things can cause us to ignore God’s direction in our lives:

·      Family

·      Career

·      Not feeling equipped

·      FEAR

I believe fear is the greatest single factor to us not following God’s direction, or even living the abundant life he plans for us.  Fear whispers that we are not worthy to be used, not capable, not good enough.  We also like to be in control and know what is going to happen.  We struggle when we have to hand over that control to God, but we can be assured that whatever it is that God wants for our lives, He has already made the way. What we truly believe changes and directs our lives.  If I believe that God is the ultimate authority and source of blessing in my life, I will follow His direction, willingly,    

You will never experience God without obedience, and partial obedience is simply disobedience.  Serving looks different for everyone.  It is really not about how much you do.   It is about being willing to go and do, to listen and stay, or anything, in any way. 

Scripture to Claim:This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  1 John 4:9-10