Monday 15 July 2013

YES YOU CAN…DO ALL THINGS



Plenty of times, we are inspired to believe that we are more than conquerors. That with the Lord on our side, we are assured of victory, but then, there’s always that self-doubt. Another small voice from deep within which always seems to discourage us whenever we want to try something new. We even sometimes feel like there is a possibility of failure. Who wants to fail? I bet none. It is a common natural feeling. However, some situations may require us to surge on despite all odds. Hence, that calls for the strong-willed to push themselves ahead, while as for the others, encouragement from those around them becomes necessary. For those of us who rely upon the Lord, Philippians 4:13 is the verse we mostly cling to with a sense of victory in our hearts. 

Personally, I draw a lot of courage from my confidence in the power of God bestowed upon me through His Holy Spirit. I have learnt to believe in myself because I have Christ in me. With His guidance and strength, I know I can do all things. However, this does not necessarily mean I can do just anything. This is now where you need to pray and seek God more for Him to reveal to you your purpose in this life. You need to ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to opportunities available to you and for you to also know those that are not. If we choose to go by our own natural eyes or instincts, we may be up for disappointment. 

In a letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes in chapter 2 verse 10 of the book, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This verse reveals that even before your existence in this world, God already knew you and had a plan for you. Therefore, you just need to submit to His will and through it all He says, His grace will be sufficient. Philippians 4:19 encourages, “And God will meet your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Whenever worry or uncertainty crop up, you should always remember the powerful words in Philippians 4:6-7. The Lord is always with you. 

At times, however, the struggles may weigh upon us. We may sometimes feel weak and totally worn out. It might go as far as that failure we dread. Still, we must always hang on to the fact that God is with us. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” People may point fingers at you during the times when you seem weak and defeated, like they did to Jesus at the cross. Those times you even cry and feel depressed. The world may even question why you are down cast and yet you call yourself a child of God. Such questions might even cause you to start having second thoughts about your salvation. Jesus Christ provides a perfect way out of such circumstances. While at the cross, the crowd taunted Him to defend Himself if He really is God. In my heart, I know He had the full capacity to do that but He did not. Instead, He asks the Father to forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Jesus focused on fulfilling His cause in this world for He knew great glory awaited Him at the end. Thus, since the Lord already worn the war for us, nothing which comes our way should deter us from finishing the race that has been marked out for us.

My moments of weakness always serve to humble me before God. I often recognize how much more I need Him in my life. Therefore, whenever I fall, I stand up, dust myself off and move on. Like David in Psalms 73:26, I say, “My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” In the end, my mess becomes a message and my test eventually transforms into a testimony. You should not allow your moments of failure to set you back. Those are times that God’s glory is just about to erupt in your life. Therefore, do not despair or feel as if God has abandoned you, but rather, you should let go and let God’s will prevail. 
 
Philippians 1:6 - …being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

No comments:

Post a Comment