Strong Start - a Devotion on StrengthSample

Strength for Impossibilities

When you are staring an impossible situation in the face, what happens? How do you respond? Do you shrink back? Or do you rise in faith?

It goes without saying that dealing with impossibilities can be very challenging. Impossibilities have a way of shaking our faith, making us question ourselves and God.

But there is something to be said of impossibilities: they are conquerable when tackled the right way.

You're probably wondering, "What's the right way?"

Let's have a quick storytime.

Bryson has a major basketball game coming up. It's the game that could very well determine his future since scouts were confirmed to be in attendance. If Bryson was going to stand a chance at being noticed by the scouts, he would need to stand out in a major way, and in order to do that, he needed to be in tip top shape.

Bryson's dad is a retired athlete and trainer with a flawless track record of whipping people into shape for big moments like this. But Bryson wanted to do this own his own so he opted not to consult with his father. He was determined to be independent in this.

A few days into training on his own, he quickly realized that his performance was not improving the way he needed it to. Instead of dancing around the same mountain, he got over himself and called his father for help. Almost instantly, Bryson's performance improved.

In one way or another, we have all taken Bryson's approach of being so self-reliant. But impossibilities can only be conquered when we forfeit our independence. Forfeiting our independence makes room for our Father to show up for us. When He shows up, everything becomes possible through him.

Father, thank You for opening my eyes to my obsession with being self-reliant. Give me the grace to trade my independence for dependence on You.