Things that are Impossible for God - Week 3

We all have fears. Some make sense, some are a bit irrational, and they don’t always seem to fit neatly into a category, but no matter how you spin it most everyone is afraid of something.

The sorority girl down the hall may be terrified of being alone, which is why you can count on her to buy dinner for all her friends and leave her door wide open waiting for others to visit.

That guy in class who is in eight different organizations, works two part-time jobs and just volunteered himself to be the leader of your group project may be struggling with a fear of failure.

The girl who skips class and hasn’t contributed anything to that same group project may also battling a fear of failure, so she doesn’t even put forth any effort.

The bouncer at your favorite bar may have a fear of rejection, so he copes by lifting more weights and intimidating unruly students.

The mother of the family you nanny for seems to have an excess of…everything. But it may be because she remembers growing up in a household that lived paycheck to paycheck and she is so fearful of having nothing that she buys everything.

Me? Well, I have an irrational fear of being murdered.

Maybe it comes from watching too many episodes of CSI or Denzel movies. Or just turning on the news.

Either way, it’s there. And the point where it passes paranoia and ventures into neurotic is when this fear affects my ability to help others. Whether it’s gathering enough courage to step outside of my comfort zone and talk to a stranger or stop to help someone stranded on the side of the road, this fear cripples my ability to serve others.

And the point where it becomes really unhealthy is when it affects my spiritual life.

Was He whispering to me and I chose to ignore Him? Did He intend for me to help them?
Because if He did I’m sure He would protect me.
What could God have done for me in that situation?
What could He have done through me?
Where am I inserting my own fears in the place where God’s trust belongs?

Take a look at Matthew 25:34-40.

You can imagine the guilt felt driving past stranded vehicles when this verse creeps in, turning you to think I just left Jesus on the side of the road. What kind of person leaves Jesus on the side of the road?! I mean, if I knew that was really Jesus I would have stopped.

If that's true, why don’t we have that same heart and mindset all the time?

What if we approached every single person as we would approach Jesus? What if we saw His face in the face of the hurting?

If we approached conversations with our parents the way we would approach a conversation with Jesus there would be no yelling or disrespect from either parties. If we approached a situation with friends the way we would approach one with Jesus there would likely be a lot more understanding on both ends. And if we stopped and stepped outside of our comfort zone to truly serve someone, in the way we would as if we were serving Jesus, His hand would be completely over that situation.

We were each created in the image of God and He lives in each one of us, which means, truly, we should be able to see God when we look at others, when we look into their eyes, no matter how they act or treat us out in their humanness.

Christine Caine, founder of the A21 Campaign, an organization that rescues sex-trafficked women and children, shares a poignant piece of advice: 

"Just because something is not known or applauded on earth does not mean

that it is not recorded or valued in Heaven."

It is the good we do when we don’t expect anything in return that is recorded in Heaven.

The choices we make to help someone out, to better someone’s life, in private, just because we are called to.

When we treat people as Jesus would treat them, when we treat others with the heart of Jesus, that is what is valued in Heaven. That is what angels get excited about and dance around for. Not for accomplishments, for how much food we donate or how many children we sponsor. Yes, those things are wonderful. They are great and necessary and we should continue to do them. But what we do behind the scenes, the people we do life with, the people we don’t leave stranded to fend for themselves, but we love them and point them to Christ through that love, that just lights God up.

So, how do we move past the fear – or any other thing that is holding us back from doing this?

We can rest in the truth that it is impossible for God to leave us stranded. He will not bring us to a task and leave us to fend for ourselves. There may be periods of waiting, periods where He is silent or may even seem to be absent, but He’s not. He never leaves us.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

Once we accept that, we can stop looking for comfort and value in other things and focus on God.

We can take advantage of the boldness that we have in Christ and take risks, whether it’s with our spirituality, at home, in school, at work, with relationships, whatever.

We can step out in faith and know that God is right there with us.

And lastly, we can celebrate the process through which God is bringing us.  

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, 

your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; 

do not fret when people succeed in their ways, 

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret -- it leads only to evil.

For those who are evil will be destroyed, 

but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land."

Psalm 37:5-9 

Other Key Verses

• Hebrews 13:5
• John 10:28
• Isaiah 54:10
• Proverbs 3:5-6
• Psalm 37:23-24

Reflection Questions

• Have you ever been stranded before? How did you feel?
• How has fear crippled you, specifically preventing you from doing God's work?
• How do you discern between making a logical decision and missing God's call, being disobedient to His promptings?
• Have you ever felt like God left you stranded? What happened in that situation?
• How does the truth that God cannot leave you stranded make you feel?