Pastor column: Thank God I can
There’s a virus in the church today called the “I can’t” virus. It’s an attitude of doubt and disbelief. It’s a lack of trust and faith in God and His Word. This virus would have us to think that believers are victims not victors and that God is a God of small things.
Listen, Almighty God wants us to think positively — to have the opposite of an “I can’t” attitude and have an “I can” attitude. Paul speaks in this the fourth chapter of Philippians about an “I can do” attitude. He encourages the church at Philippi (and you and me) that even though they may be going through difficult times, that they, through Christ’s strength, can do all things. And I believe that God wants us to have that kind of attitude today, no matter what we’re facing. So, the question I would pose to you is; “How do I get over the “I can’t” attitude virus? Well I believe there are three remedies for the “I can’t” virus.
First, recognize your source of strength. We need to recognize that our ultimate strength is found in Christ and Christ alone. Apart from Him, we really can’t do anything, (John 15:5) but when we get hooked up and plugged into the ultimate Power Source, which is Jesus, we can do all things according to His will and His purpose. David says, “The Lord is my strength and my redeemer.” We’ve got to get hooked up to the Power Source!
Second, don’t be afraid. Far too often we lose faith in God and get an "I can’t" virus due to fear and anxiety. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid. Lo’ I am with thee always, even unto the end” (Matthew 28:18) and Paul wrote, “God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). We fear trying new things because of fear of the unknown, we’d rather say “We can’t!” But we have to realize that God has bestowed His power upon us. Fear and anxiety are tools of the enemy and we need to recognize the power God has given us over him. The Bible says, “If you resist the devil, he will flee” (James 4:7)! We have to defeat our fears by exercising our faith in God and His Word in order to conquer an “I can’t” virus.
Three, believe that you can! We must believe that we can do whatever it is that God calls us to do. Jesus says, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, then you can tell that mountain to move, and it will move” (Matthew 17:20). What is faith? Hebrews 11 gives the definition of faith as “The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (vs.1). It doesn’t take a lot of faith to make us powerful through God’s almighty, supernatural power — to believe that what is “unseen” can, by faith, be “seen,” “tangible,” a “reality!”
Thank God. You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you!
Rev. J. Patrick Street is the lead pastor of Redeemer Church in Marion. He can be reached at coachpatstreet@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Faith in God can make you believe you can do all things
