Every Chance (Mark 10:23-27)

Mark 10:23-27- Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who 'have it all' to enter God's kingdom?" 

The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: "You can't imagine how difficult. I'd say it's easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for the rich to get into God's kingdom." 

That set the disciples back on their heels. "Then who has any chance at all?" they asked. 

Jesus was blunt: "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it." 

There are so many times in our lives when we mistakenly believe that our salvation is a product of what WE can do. 
Yes, we know better, know that we were saved by grace and not works, but we act as though it is OUR sole responsibility to get to a place in which we can be righteous in God's eyes. 
We live in a culture where we believe that we can have it all, that we can be self-made people, and never be forced to rely on another ever again. We're independent in body and spirit.

But then God drops these gargantuan truth bombs on us. 

We realize that it's not actually up to us (for what feels like the thousandth time). We repent. We go back to wholeheartedly trusting in His power alone...

And then we slip again.

Because we KNOW these things to be true, even in our hearts, but this prevalent sense of fear, of doubt in His power causes us to push him aside time and time again, saying, "I am trusting in you alone (but really, God, I can handle this; go back to saving the world from tsunamis, or something)."

I must admit that I have fallen prey to this line of thinking time and time again. 

Even now, as I was writing this, I asked myself, "What am I going to do with my life? Where will I live four months from now? What if my future does not pan out as I have planned? What if I can't make it in the world of journalism? Will I ever make a significant impact?"


These thoughts all had one similar component: the "I/me" theme.


They all ask, "What can I do?" rather than "What can He do?"


Yes, our lives can be crazy. Yes, there are a thousand things that we could be stressed out about, worrying over, working ourselves to the bone to fix. Our nation's political fate, job security, raising families in times where we are not only fighting physical wars with one another, but spiritual ones, a world corrupted by hatred and fear: all of these are seemingly insurmountable problems. 

We could worry ourselves to death over any one of these alone. But why should we?

We could also trust in our Creator, you know, the one who created the Heavens and the Earth, who knows you even better than you do.

We could trust in His plan for our lives. We could wholeheartedly surrender to Him, saying, "Not my will, but yours be done."

Because let's face it, trying to do things of our own power and volition is not only frightening, but utterly impossible. Jesus himself told us that we have no chance at all of making any lasting achievements on our own. None.

But, luckily for us, we serve the God of the impossible. 

Through His power, we are limitless, because He is limitless. We wield power because He gives it to us.

We have every chance in the world, if we only allow Him to work through us.

That is why my prayer today is this:

God, please allow me to be your vessel. Allow me to live a life of victory and strength through the one who has given me life. Let your Word be a lamp unto my feet, so that I never forget that it is your all-mighty power, and not my own that I can rely on. Help me to remember that nothing that I do for you is ever a waste. Thank you for giving me life, and life in abundance. Not my will, but yours be done.

Amen.