To live my life in constant victory,
To give You thanks for gifts and hardships, too,
To yield myself completely unto You,
To love You more and others fervently,
To trust Your plan in peaceful certainty,
To wisdom have for knowing what to do,
To live by faith based on Your Word that’s true -
Each one remains impossible for me.
These vict’ries happen by Your pow’r alone.
Your promises of help will never fail;
When I depend on You, You will prevail.
It’s through Your work the victory is shown.
Impossible for me, without a doubt,
But possible for You. You’ll bring me out.
The
first seven lines of the poem enumerate what were my spiritual burdens and
goals at one particular point in my life. All of them are still pretty good
goals. Over time and through changing stages of life, the particular goals that
are most pertinent change as God works in different areas at different times.
One thing that does not change is my own inability to achieve those goals.
I
am reminded of Benjamin Franklin's experience. It is unlikely that he was a
Christian man, but at one point in his life he made a list of goals for
morality and personal character. His plan was to focus on one objective each
week and to track his progress. He believed that within a few months he could
greatly transform his character. It is not surprising (or should not be) that
he failed to see the success he had hoped for. If anything, he became more
acutely aware of how much he struggled in each area and how incapable he was of
producing change.
As
a Christian, I have the help of the Holy Spirit working in my heart. I have a
loving God who desires for me to grow in godliness, and I have a Savior who
intercedes for me. With this divine help, I have the potential for much greater
success than Franklin experienced. The key, though, is that divine help. Based
on my own efforts, all attempts at reform, revival, growth, and maturity will
fail. God, on the other hand, has all the power and resources necessary to
bring about every change that He wants to make in my life.
This
does not free me from all responsibility. God calls me to seek Him. I am to
imitate Christ. I must yield myself to His molding, and I need to obey in what
He asks of me. Those responses are easier said than done, but when I place
myself humbly before God, desirous of His work in my heart, He will do it.
Ultimately, the change, growth, and success rest in God's abundant and gracious
help.
"I can do all things
through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 (NASB)
". . . Apart from Me
you can do nothing." John 15:5 (NASB)
Yes!
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