What If You Could?

Vol. 16 No. 52 | December 30, 2013

What if you could keep the New Year’s resolutions you are about to make?

What if you could have a better marriage?

What if you could be a better parent?

What if you could get the promotion in your company?

What if you could teach that class at church?

What if you could lead that small group study?

What if you could share the gospel with that person you work with?

What if you could change your bad habits?

What if you could overcome your shyness?

What if you could stop using bad language?

What if you could stop feeling sorry for yourself?

What if you could stop living with a victim mentality?

What if you could improve your financial situation?

What if you could do great things for the Kingdom of God?

What if you could change the atmosphere in your workplace, in your home, or in your church?

What if you could forgive the person who hurt you so deeply?

What if you could get beyond your past?

What if you could forgive yourself for mistakes you have made?

What if you could be forgiven for your sins and begin a new life?

What if you could do those things, would you? Sound impossible? Maybe. But what if you could? Would you? Before you answer consider these statements from the New Testament.

Jesus once asked a similar question in John 5:5-9 (NIV):

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

In another place Jesus is questioned by His disciples about why they could not drive out demons:

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:19-20, NIV)

On another occasion Jesus’ disciples were puzzled by a statement Jesus made about the difficulty being saved:

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(Matthew 19:25-26, NIV)

There was another time when Jesus had a conversation with a man who had a very sick child:

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:21-23, NIV)

Paul wrote about his struggles and his desire to overcome them in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10(NIV):

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

In Philippians he wrote: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (4:13) “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (4:19)

Now, answer the question: What if you could, would you?

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.