Monday, June 27, 2011

God Can Do Anything

“This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand or perform.”

-- Deuteronomy 30:11

When God calls me to do something, especially something out of my comfort zone, my first reaction is uh-uh. Nope. Not me. Can’t do it. No way. Call on somebody else, somebody more qualified, somebody with more time, somebody who has done it before. Anybody, God, but me.

He never gives up on me. Sooner or later He knows I’ll fall into line and move toward wherever it is He wants me to go. Silly, isn’t it? It’s not like God is asking me to jump off a cliff by myself. He’s going to tell me what to do and what to say. He wouldn’t send me out without help. So why do I resist?

Because like so many people, I was raised to believe I’d fail in whatever I did. I still hear it almost daily about something I want to do. I know you understand because just about everyone has had a negative influence on their lives at some point. There’s always one person who knows that whatever you want to do won’t work. They probably don’t even think about the words before they say them. It’s just their gut reaction. It would be almost comical if it weren’t so sad.

So here we are in that place of certain failure with God calling us to do something a little scary. We know we’ll fail. We know it. And we probably would except for one important factor: God. He doesn’t fail. Ever. That means when He calls us to do something, He’ll equip us with everything we need to do it. He’ll walk with us every step of the way. He’ll never leave us or forsake us. So how can we fail when He’s carrying us? We can’t.

I’m a living example. Me? A children’s church coordinator? I had no experience and no kids. But God needed someone with a fresh eye and a willingness to shake up the curriculum and do things His way. Now I’m a Sunday school teacher in a class with people who have a wide range of political views. Most of the time I still don’t have a clue. But God does. He’s leading me along His path, giving me words and resources. And I’m trusting Him.

The truth is God has never let me down. I’ve let Him down plenty of times. I’ll failed without even trying more times than I can remember. But God has never let me down. He’s never left me alone. And He’s never called me to do something without giving me exactly what I needed to do whatever He called me to do. With God, nothing seems too difficult. Give it a try. You might surprise yourself.