Monday, October 10, 2011

The Look

I talk with people when they're desperately trying to make sense of all the hard things of life. One woman, looked at me with visible pain, explaining how things in her life had worsened with time, making it hard to believe something good would ever work out.  I listened and shared what I know to be true about the good that comes when we trust God.  But. When we face an ongoing difficulty, it's a challenge to grasp the possibility of something good working out, let alone a positive outcome.
It takes intentional faith to refuse to let any circumstance weaken our faith, to continue to believe there's  a possibility of something good in the impossibilities of the stuff, to live strong in the power of Christ, standing firm despite the hardship and pain produced from it all. The thing is . . . it's a matter of believing Jesus . . . "with God all things are possible."   
Consider what Jesus said to the disciples:
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26, NIV).
Jesus not only communicated the truth of that all things are possible with words, but by looking at them.

So.  What did Jesus communicate by looking at them?  Was it a look that made them understand this was important to remember?   Or did He give the teacher look?  Or was it an incredulous look, wondering how they could have missed the point of it all?   Or what?   At the very least, Jesus' look must have emphasized the importance of what His words.
So.  To believe what Jesus said, is to surrender the fear of a situation, especially the things that seem too hard and impossible, intentionally attaching ourselves to his words:  With God all things are possible!  
Breathe.
Meditate on Matthew 19:26.  What do the words mean to you?  How would Jesus look at you when communicating this life principle?
Turn away from the power of difficulties to the truth of what Jesus said.
Surrender your fear.
Step into the power of Jesus' words.
Attach yourself to the truth of the life principle, regardless of impossibilities of the stuff of life.
Experience the situation with God, rather than trying to manage it on your own.
Walk in faith that with God all things are possible.

Learning to Kickstart the day believing what Jesus said,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)