It's Possible . . . Not Easy!
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
God's will is not always easy but it is always possible. For with God all things are possible. Rest in the fact that God will never command you to do something you can't accomplish. He will never direct your steps without providing the strength to walk the path.
Jack Handey wrote in his book entitled Fuzzy Memories:
There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day at school. Since I was smaller than he was, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate instructor told me I owed him five dollars a lesson. Five dollars! So I just went back to paying the bully.
Truth be told, it's sometimes easier to pay the bully than it is to learn how to defeat him. However, God never commands you to live for His glory without helping you to overcome the obstacles you will face. Whether it is loving your spouse, witnessing to friends and family, or remaining pure on a college campus, Christ will enable you if you obey Him. Paul did not say, "I can do most things through Christ," but "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
While you're at it, stay alert to the fact that opposition usually means opportunity is close at hand. In fact, there is rarely opportunity without opposition, so you must be prepared for both opportunities and obstacles at the same time.
Paul intends to encourage us as we follow the leadership of Christ, which in real terms means never throw in the towel. He challenged the Corinthians and every Christian to be "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." What a great promise--your toil is not in vain.
Endurance that demands blood, sweat, and tears, will be rewarded one day. So get ready for today's obstacle course and run it with patient diligence. The hurdles may be high, the track may be uneven, the distance may be great, but it's possible . . . not easy!
Prayer Point: Ask the Lord to help you to discern opportunities masked by obstacles. Ask Him to give you the ability to see possible advancements in your character development that are presently cloaked in those difficult obstacles.
Extra Refreshment: Read Philippians, Philippians 1 & Philippians 4.
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