Depend on God (1)

Paul shares with us the key to his amazing success in life: “I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” There is a syndrome called “failure to launch.” It’s experienced by people who feel insecure about their future. They never seem to get to the place in life where they feel ready, so they miss out on opportunities. Life says, “Ready or not, here I come.” Now, life’s inevitability doesn’t mean that preparation is trivial; it’s important. But feeling ready is very overvalued. We are called to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). When God brought the Israelites into the promised land, He told them to step into the Jordan River first; afterward, He parted the water. If they had waited for evidence first, they would be waiting on the banks still. Faith grows when God says go and you say yes. The truth is, you don’t realize what you can do until you do it. “Ready” happens quicker if you’re already moving. If you wait to move until you’re completely ready, you will wait until you die. Jesus doesn’t tell us, “Go; you’re ready.” He tells us, “Go; I’ll go with you.” You will grow as you “go.” You will develop as you “do.” Here is the key: the thing that makes you “ready for anything and equal to anything” is “Him who infuses inner strength” into you. God designed it that way because He wants you to depend on Him.