the world of i

I'm still scratching my head as I try to remember a post I had wanted to make late last night. The idea popped into my head, I fell asleep, and now I'm at a loss for what it was. But I'm sure I'll remember as the day goes on.

I have been thinking recently of a statement my pastor makes rather frequently. He says, "God will never ask you to do anything that isn't beyond your ability to accomplish."

Of course, I balk at the word, "Never." Such a strong, blanket statement has so many possibilities of being an overstatement that I have a hard time swallowing the sentiment. But over the past few days, I've been chewing on the concept and thinking through the nuances.

I do love this sentiment, because it flies so in the face of modern culture. Life today is so much about personal empowerment and accomplishment, and we are taught from an early age there is only one upon whom we can trustfully rely: ourselves. We're taught to politely maintain control of our lives and to be careful not to surrender too much to another.

But then Christianity might step in and say "Never." Never will God ask you to accomplish something which is within your own power.

I guess I revolt against the word "never" because I'm afraid of what it might mean. It makes me so insignificant, and it makes me so small. "Without the Spirit, it is impossible to please God." Without him, I cannot please him? Without him, I cannot do anything which might be even considered good? I cannot do good without him? But... but... ... ... me. But me! Can't I? No. Never. Not without him.

It is truly the beauty of God that he would command something so beyond our own ability to accomplish - righteousness. Fallen as we are, we can never measure up to his perfect commandments and we can never accomplish any true purpose. Apart from him.

But this conception goes far beyond the preliminary notion of salvation. It goes straight to the heart of growth. If we desire growth as Christians, we must be constantly releasing our desire to accomplish and replacing it with God's ability to do such. It's part of the mystery of Christianity that often, it is our desire to accomplish which prevents God from moving. And I believe it is a true statement that God will never ask us to do anything which isn't beyond our ability to accomplish. Following Christ requires full and absolute reliance on Him - nothing more and nothing less.

What a hard place to come to! In ministry, it is so difficult to cede every nuance of my job description over to him, and to ask him to do my work for me. "But Lord, why can't I be effective?" There it is again - that worldly notion of 'I' which gets in the way of his work.

So I ask you, are you taking on tasks which you know you cannot accomplish? Or are you content in the world of I? True Christian growth occurs when someone decides that he or she truly can't do it, and instead of giving up, turns to God. Where in life are you refusing to give up, but instead turning to Christ? Challenge your walk with him. Step out and refuse to live mundane lives!

Be convicted by this: Christian lives should never be mundane lives. If they are, we're not living Christian lives!