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Throughout the Bible, God’s people accomplish the unimaginable. Adam loved Eve with deep faith and commitment. Noah obeyed the Lord despite the scary circumstances. Job repented and learned to trust God again wholeheartedly. Joshua obeyed the Lord’s audacious commands. Isaiah and Daniel proclaimed the words of the Lord despite the costs of being so outspoken.
Matthew 19:26 says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
In Matthew 19, a rich man asked Jesus what he needed to do to have an eternal life. Jesus replied by telling him to keep the commandments. The rich man claimed that he kept them, but still wondered what more he needed. Jesus replied, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The notion of giving it all up was unsettling and alarming to the rich man, and to the disciples that overheard this conversation. Who said with God all things are possible? Well, Jesus did! Jesus was telling the rich man that eliminating the materialistic things that seem important will feel uncomfortable, but Jesus would never lead him (or anyone) astray.
In Romans 3:10, we’re reminded that perfection is impossible for anyone except Christ.
Now back to the rich man, would he be able to let everything go and put others before himself? What is impossible to man is possible to God.
Two of the most important things to Christians (and society as a whole) is health and wealth. Without health and wealth, life may feel somewhat like Doomsday. Moreover, if you have health and wealth and no relationship with God, you’re merely living to eventually die. Having a relationship with God means you’re living to keep living because eventually you’ll be invited into heaven. Abiding by your own path is not a path to heaven; however, living a God-like life will help your trajectory.
Through God all things are possible. He has shown us the impossible is possible when:
- Infertile women conceived.
- Esther saved her Jewish kin from being slaughtered.
- Moses drew water from a stone.
- He brought the dead back to life – in Mark 5, Luke 7, John 11, and again in Mark 16.
- The virgin Mary birthed the Son of God.
Now, how can Christians live a life that stays true to the meaning of Matthew 19:26? There are a few ways everyone can do this:
Pray about the impossible.
God invites us to pray – no matter how big the mess is, no matter how impossible the possible seems, and no matter how we’ve contributed to the wrongfulness at hand. We are reminded of this in Luke 11:9. Jesus says, “…continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you…”
If you’ve never recited an impossible prayer, it may seem awkward at first. However, once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel empowered by all of things possible with God. If dangerous powerful prayers are something you need help with, here are prayers that bring God’s magnificent work into your life.
Give glory to God.
None of the things that God has provided are materialistic items. He brought forth life giving water, saved lives, and created life. Nothing was produced in vain and solely for a profitable economy. Only God’s power is sufficient and through his glory he teaches us prayerful dependence on Him. The impossible is accomplished for the good of the people.
If you would like to pray for the glory to God, here is a simple prayer for Glory to the Father.
Always put God first.
To authentically and intentionally put God first you must let go of what other people think and follow your heart. This means letting go of what your loved ones perceive as crazy and express yourself in a true way that puts God above all. If you feel uncomfortable and unsettled, then you’re probably doing the right thing. Change requires you to stray away from the norm and go off the unbeaten path.
The benefits of adopting a mindset of all things are possible with God translates to experiencing joy and happiness, understanding and accepting our purpose and the reasoning behind our lives, and discovering real peace.
Help others whenever you can.
You don’t need to know someone’s entire life story to be a good human being that treats an individual with kindness and performs humanitarian acts. Go the extra mile and pay it forward. Science proves that being a kind person and doing things for others will benefit your overall mental health.
Kind acts do not need to be expensive or over the top. If someone is struggling to make ends meet, prepare a meal for them or purchase groceries. If someone is enduring a difficult season in life, ask them how you can pray for them. If someone is experiencing health ailments, look for ways you lighten the load of their to-do list by driving them to their doctor’s appointments or taking care of their yardwork. With Christ all things are possible and coming to the aid of others will reinforce this mindset in your life.
Matthew 19:26 is a powerful verse. Not only does it empower the everyday person, like you and I, but it invigorates our Christian faith with the belief and understanding that God is always with us, and there is a greater purpose for everyone – even when we’re feeling just ordinary.