4 Ways To Live Life With An !
Mark’s second chapter, he tells us about the time Jesus spent at a house in Capernaum. People were so excited to know that He was near that they did everything they could to see him; so many came, in fact, that “there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door” (v2).
Four men were also trying to get this friend who was handicapped in to see Jesus. They believed that Jesus could heal their friend. However, because there were so many people they couldn’t get him in. They planned something so crazy and audacious to break through this crowd and get to Jesus that Jesus recognized their bold determination as an act of faith.
Seeing a situation that was impossible, they refused to give up and carried him to the roof, where they removed part of the roof and lowered him down to Jesus. Think about that for a minute. They dismantled a stranger’s roof because they were that determined.
Their determination — their faith, Jesus said — was so great that they found a way to overcome the impossible, and because of their actions, their friend was healed. We can learn for these men.
I see so many people give up in the face of adversity. They accept the impossible. They don’t realize that impossible is defined by who is looking at it. Here are 4 things we can do to follow their example.
- Don’t complain. We don’t know the background of these five friends, but they may have traveled a while to see Jesus. Even if they didn’t, they were stuck outside when they got to the house. Instead of stopping to complain, whine, or contemplate why things were so unfair, they kept moving forward.
- Don’t use the same perspective as everyone else: Most people would say that it was unfortunate, unfair, or even impossible. Not these five. Make sure that what others say is impossible; you don’t see as impossible. Real faith created action — and in this situation we see that their faith sparked the determination and creativity to find a way around the “impossible”.
- Don’t give up: You might see a situation as difficult or a challenge. But never look at it as impossible. When you see something as impossible, you’re less inclined to have the faith that God will help you overcome the situation. It doesn’t matter if it has never been done before — faith leads to pure willpower, audacity, and determination.
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Don’t pick the wrong crowd: Surround yourself with people who will help you remove the “im” from impossible. The paralyzed man wasn’t the only one who believed that he needed to see Jesus. Four people carried him up. They assessed the situation and, together, came up with the crazy idea of removing the roof.
We might call these traits determination or willpower, and we might praise their persistence and audacity. Do you know how Jesus saw it? As faith. Faith without works is dead, and the works done by these friends in faith helped them overcome the impossible. What “impossible” situation in your life do you need to take another look at.
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