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If something isn’t humanly impossible, then what in the world are we doing trying to pull it off? |
Suggested Internal Links • Preparing for the Holidays • Don’t Forget the Wrapping Paper |
The holidays present us with an incredible array of emotional stimulation from good to bad to joyous to heartbreaking. We want to encourage you to celebrate what is glorious about this season of the year—family, faith, friends, and fellowship. But we also want HEARTLIGHTSM Magazine to speak to the issues we face in our lives as well. For those who are experiencing their first Christmas season without a loved one, we point you to Randy Becton’s article “Preparing for the Holidays.” For those worried about all the stress of family politics and expectations we suggest “Don’t Forget the Wrapping Paper.” But for those of us who face the plain ol’ problems of too many demands and not enough time, too many needs and not enough me, or too many commitments and not enough slots, we offer this little tidbit from Chuck Swindoll. We hope this season of hope is a blessing to you, but remember, even the best of holiday seasons punches our frustration and hurt button eventually. When that happens, there’s always a place to take our problems! We can…
When you face an impossibility, leave it in the hands of the Specialist. Refuse to calculate. Refuse to work it out by yourself. Refuse to worry or encourage others to worry. Stand against that.
Instead say, "Lord, I'm carrying around something I cannot handle. Because you are not only able but also willing and anxious, take this off my hands. It’s impossible to me, but it is as nothing with You." Persevering through the pressures of impossibilities calls for that kind of confidence.
Now, our problem is that we hold onto our problems. If your Swiss watch stops working, you don’t sit down at home with a screwdriver and start working on it yourself. You take it to a specialist.
What if you do work on that watch and then take it to a specialist? "Sir, my watch stopped working."
"Oh, really. Let me take a look at it. What in the world have you done to this lovely watch?"
The problem is that the Lord gets all the leftovers. We make all the mistakes and get things tied into nineteen granny knots, then dump it in his lap and say, "Here, Lord."
No! Right at first say "It's impossible: I can’t handle it. Lord, before I foul it up, it’s Yours." He is able to handle it.
We are often so totally (and sinfully) confident in ourselves that we don’t give God the chance to do what He is a real specialist at doing. If something isn’t humanly impossible, then what in the world are we doing trying to pull it off?
Your impossible situation may be a marriage that is almost or altogether on the rocks. It may be a destroyed romance that’s left you disillusioned. It may be a terrible habit that you just cannot conquer. It may have to do with your work or your career, or perhaps your schooling. You may be at rock bottom financially. It may be a relationship that is now so strained and pressured that you cannot handle it. If it seems impossible to you, TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF! Ask God, in absolute faith, to take over.
This excerpt is taken from the booklet, Impossibilities: Uncrossable Rivers of Life (Zondervan Publishing House, 1995). It is available at your local bookstore or by calling 1-800-727-3480
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