What the Little Engine Could Have Done
I don’t know about you, but I was raised with the idea that I could do anything that I put my mind to. It goes all the way back to the children’s book , “The Little Engine That Could”. (I think I can! I think I can!)
The concept of doing anything I put my mind to didn’t end there either. As I got older, I was asked over and over what I wanted to be when I grow up…a model, a teacher, a mother, the President of the United States? I was told to reach for the stars, dream big dreams!
Working hard and setting goals is still ingrained in me and I strive to always be the best that I can be. But this idea of being able to take on the world and finding solutions to our problems in our own strength and ability is very worldly and not really realistic.
None of us are Superman. We cannot leap tall buildings or get strength from kryptonite. In fact, when we try to take on the world by ourselves, we essentially are saying that we do not need anyone’s help, including God’s.
But wait for it.
The moment things begin to get too tough, and we feel like Superman who has lost his powers, we begin to look around for God. Sometimes, by the time we reach out for the One Who holds all of our strength, it is too late. The damage is already done. Think about the turmoil in the city whenever Superman became weak, havoc took place when he was busy looking for His strength.
If Superman didn’t have control of his own strength, what makes us think we do?
The Bible is full of stories about men and women who thought they had all the answers only to find out they could not save themselves, nor anyone else.
As Christians, we have to place our trust NOT in what we know, but in what we believe!
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
None of us really need to look to the Bible for examples of what faithLESS looks like, all we have to do is look in the mirror. I am sure we all have countless of examples of how great we believed in something but in a moment of trying to see things in our own strength, we lost sight of what God’s strength looked like.
I remember our first Trunk or Treat Festival that we organized at a former church. We had great dreams and big faith but quickly others began to whisper in our ear, “That’s not how we’ve ever done it!” (Don’t you just love those naysayers)!
We believed for hundreds to show up, they said “not that many”! We said we need to move this out to the gymnasium, they said, “no, the sanctuary will hold them”
Naysayers:1
FaithLESS:0
We held that first Trunk or Treat Festival in the sanctuary. Over 400 showed up and we broke so many fire codes in a building that held about half that.
After the naysayers pried their popped open eyes back to normal size, we learned an immeasurable lesson: walk by faith, not by sight and trust God by being still and letting Him show up!
“The Little Engine That could”, WITH GOD as the engineer, would certainly of said something different…“I think He can! I think He can!”
Trust me, God can! Trust God, He will!
It is so true; when we try to go full steam ahead without God, we run out of steam. However, with God all things are possible.