"… apart from Me, you can do nothing." — John 15:5
Big Idea #3. God expects the impossible … but He doesn’t expect it to be achieved without Him.
We are instructed to carry the life transforming presence of Jesus Christ into our world. It is expected that we will touch people’s lifes and their cowardice will be turned to courage, their trembling fear into perfect peace, their anger into love, their shame into radiant joy and purity, their death into life. That’s a tall order.
In the meanwhile, we are expected to rejoice in the middle of trouble and suffering. We are to live a righteous life which, among other things, means delighting in doing right and detesting doing evil. I could go on with the list, but I think we all understand the point: The Christian life is impossible. Nobody can live it. You don’t have to read any further than the Sermon on the Mount to know that Jesus expects the impossible.
To top it off, when God wants something — shall we say — out of the ordinary done, He usually calls on us to do it. (Read Exodus 4 for starters.)
I think there comes a point in every Christian’s life when it finally dawns on us that God is asking us to do something that cannot be done. There comes a point where we throw up our hands and say, "God, this is impossible!"
Then He smiles and says, "I knew you’d figure that out, sooner or later. Congratulations! You’re learning."
My friend, Tom, and I have a joke between us. We describe our situation in life as "brilliance obscured by inadequacy." Well, that inadequacy is there for a reason. Without our inadequacy, there would be no room for God.
Josh McDowell, the famous Christian apologist, describes himself as a stuttering guy who can’t think on his feet. Yet, he successfully debates nonChristians and athiests on college campuses all over the world. Why? Because he knows the secret. He can’t do it, but there is Someone near who can.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.