Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Most of the inspiring sports stories we hear today go something like this: “Against seemingly insurmountable odds, the athlete persevered and won an astounding victory.” Whether it was their poor upbringing, a nagging sickness or injury they were forced to endure, or just a lack of natural skills they had to compensate for, many amazing athletes have shown that when a person sets his mind to a goal, he can accomplish it. Pretty much everything in those stories hinges on one word, “seemingly.” To the sports writer, it “seems” as if the athlete should never have been able to win. Yet, if the odds really were insurmountable, then the task never would have been accomplished, and the victory never would have been won.
So many people look at “seemingly” insurmountable odds and say to themselves that it is not possible to persevere and win. Are you struggling with your grades in school, with “seemingly” no way to bring them up? Are you struggling with sin in your life, with “seemingly” no way to gain the victory? Are you facing “seemingly” insurmountable difficulties with a sickness, family relationships, or bitterness? Though the hill certainly is a tough one to climb, and winning the battle may seem out of reach, the difficulties are just “seemingly” insurmountable because there is a way to overcome them.
God never gives us a battle or a difficulty that He does not give us a way out of. He will not give us more than we can handle. However, much of our success does hinge upon the fact that we be right with Him in order to get God’s help through the difficulty. God often uses those difficulties to bring us back to Himself. But if we are His children, and we are right with Him, then there is no difficulty too burdensome, no challenge too demanding, that He cannot help us through.
There have been many people who fell just short of an amazing feat because the adversity became too arduous for them. Had they “stuck it out” another day, they may have been able to prove to themselves and to the world that what they were attempting was actually possible. Don’t quit on yourself. The odds may seem to be stacked against you, and the goal may seem unattainable. However, in the end, what is seemingly insurmountable is just another step toward making you strong enough to accomplish something great, physically or spiritually.
Steve Boots | Pastor
Mount Victory Baptist Church | Henrico, VA
https://www.mtvictorybaptist.com/
