A few years ago, an interesting question surfaced in classrooms and seminars, “If you knew you wouldn’t fail what would you do?” In the follow-up discussion, I always had to remind my students the only way to avoid failure, was to do no more, nor no less than what God called them to do. The Apostle Paul had an amazing agenda, and may have been asked, “How do you keep doing all that you do?” His answer was written to a group of believers in Philippi, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)” Paul did not say he could do all things by eating the right food, or getting the right amount of sleep, or even exercising properly, although those certainly help. Nor did he say God would strengthen him to do the wrong things. While certainly not at the level of Paul, I too have occasionally been asked, how I do all that I do? I made a vow to God that as long as He gives me the needed strength, I would continue to do whatever He calls me to do. Furthermore, when He ceases to give me strength, I sure don’t want to keep doing something, just for the sake of doing it. For then, in my own strength, it would be both tiring and somewhat unrewarding. So the original question needs adjustment – If you knew God wouldn’t let you fail, but would rather empower you to succeed, what would you do?
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