I Can't Do It

I am so thankful I went to church today. I guess that I say that most Sundays but today it is because the service really tied up some things for me that I have been struggling (and opened a bunch of more questions and things I need to search scripture about).

We're in a series on an overview of the Bible at church that started in August and will end maybe this summer, I am not sure. Today we got to the story of "the feeding of the 5000" from Mark's gospel, chapter 6.  It is a familiar Sunday School story that I have heard all my life but I was really confronted with some things that I need to meditate on and change my mind about and it basically comes down to the fact that God is asking us to do something that we can not do but He will do it.

Jesus and the disciples got in a boat to go and have a refreshing time by themselves across the water but the people saw where they were going and ran around to the other side and beat them there (how they beat them I really don't know, I figure that it is probably faster to go by boat across than by foot around the sea of Galilee but I have never tried). Jesus saw them, had compassion on them, and taught them. The disciples urged Him to send the people away to get food but Jesus told them, "You give them something to eat!" and they basically responded, "I can't do that." I think that is where Jesus wanted them. He is going to do something through them now, physically, feed a bunch of people but He is preparing to do something through them later (of much more significance than feeding hungry bellies) that they can not do on their own. The disciples went with what Jesus had given them to meet the people's needs.

We were given a list of 4 things that we need to realize:
1. What I must do.
2. Why I can't do it.
3. How He did it.
4. How, through Jesus, I can do it.

There are a lot of things that I feel are impossible in my life right now: being a God honoring wife, being a God honoring mom, teaching my kids, reaching out to those around me who need Christ, loving others, forgiving others, keeping my house clean, keeping my family fed, practicing hospitality, moving... the list goes on. God has called me to do these things. In my own power I can not do them. Christ has done them. It is only through Him that I can do them.

I need to spend some time searching the Bible and seeing how Christ did those things that He has called me to do and not rely on myself to do them but allow Him to do the impossible through me.

The last note I wrote during church today was this: "Live as sent people, represent Him to those around you. God views the people on Allen St as sheep without a shepherd and tells me - 'You give them something to eat.'"

The world needs Jesus. It is only through Him that we can reach the world which is our primary calling above all else.