All And Nothing

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

I’m a firm believer that if there is something you’re afraid of doing, then it’s an opportunity for growth and personal development. Like a challenge to overcome. Following up on yesterday’s short article about asking God what we can do for Him in order to fully submit to His will, I did mention that fear gripped me at the thought of being asked to do something I thought was too difficult, something I’d fail at, or be asked to do something I didn’t want to do. So rather than backing down from the challenge, I pushed myself to pray. I didn’t want my reluctance or fear to stand in the way of my obedience to Christ.

There was no special revelation about God’s will after praying, but I learned a lesson in humility. The virtue of humility is always a work in progress for me. I seem to be always chasing after it, but never catching it and holding onto it.

I was reminded of a few passages from Scripture. One is that all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). There is no need to be afraid. Even if something seems insurmountable, with faith, we can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

At the same time, I can do nothing apart from Christ (John 15:5). If the Lord imparts divine grace, it’s because He’s done it. If the Lord chooses to richly bless, it’s because He’s chosen to. He is the Vine and I am only one of the many, many branches. What good is a branch that is not connected to the Vine? It cannot grow or produce fruit. So I cannot do anything without Him.

Later that same day, I heard John 15:5 being quoted in church. The message reverberated through me again. I cannot do anything apart from Christ.

The Lord wants us to feel supported by His power, but humble enough to remember that it’s His power. No matter what we are asked, called, or convicted to do, He can give us the strength to accomplish it if it’s according to His will. There’s no need to fear the unknown or the challenges that are ahead. We can do all things with Christ who strengthens us, but we can do nothing apart from Christ. It’s all and nothing.

All things with Him and nothing apart from Him.