CrossLife Church- Pflugerville, TX

Beyond Your Ability

When was the last time you were in over your head? As in, thinking you could handle something but, well, no.

It happens all the time. Health needs. Home projects. High powered conversations. Happy relationships. 

When you reach the point of a situation being beyond your ability, you have three choices. You can quit, and call it a failure. You can keep trying on your own, and learn once again how feeble and foolish that is. Or you can get some outside help, a professional or a friend or, you know, maybe God?

An exceptional athlete or associate is often complimented for not just being great, but making the rest of team around them great, too. For helping others excel beyond their ability. That’s what God does. That’s what God promises. That’s what God is great at doing again and again. And he loves doing it!

The apostle Paul, who is no spiritual slouch, was in over his head. Life got tough. Challenges become overwhelming obstacles. Here’s what he ways. Which words describe the tough situation for Paul and his friends? 

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8,9). 

Troubles. Pressure. Despair. Such a hopeless dead end it feels like death. 

Paul then says what your faith should also say in such a situation. There’s always a purpose for your pain. “This happened that we …” Pain is God’s servant, not your master. Getting in over your head means you realize you’re not God, and you need him. 

Can God get you out? Can he rescue you? Heal you? Strengthen you? Equip you? Hold you up through a difficult season? Lead you through dark confusion? Keep his promises when it seems impossible?

Of course he can, and does! He “raises the dead!” That’s kind of beyond your ability, wouldn’t you say? But it happens. God promises.

So, do two things today in response to situations in your life that you just can’t handle as well as you should. 

First, admit your problem. Kick your ego to the curb, and say these words, “I can’t do this. I need help.”

Second, ask God to keep his promises. Use your faith, and say these words, “I believe in you, God. You are the help I need. I trust your plan. I follow your way.”

“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10).

PRAYER: Dear God, I can’t do this. I need help. I believe in you, God. You are the help I need. I trust your plan. I follow your way. Amen.

FAITH IN ACTION: Write the prayer above. Or go to CrossLifePfChurch, our Facebook page, and save the prayer posted there in a meme. Or go to CrossLifePf.org and click on the BLOG tab. You’ll see the prayer meme there and also this devotion posted. Pray this prayer the rest of the week, and see what God can do.