All Things

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13

Great news; I can do ALL things!  Maybe I’ll begin by leaping a tall building with a single bound or establishing world peace by lunchtime or maybe get the crumbs cleaned out of the silverware tray!  Somehow I don’t think that’s what Paul was saying to thePhilippians.

The key words in this verse are not “I can do all things” but rather “through Christ”.  We weren’t created by God to be super heroes, or to live each day breaking our neck trying to do a hundred things to please everyone we know.  We were created to be His hands and feet here on earth. I don’t recall a single passage in Sacred Scripture that described Jesus multi-tasking, over-booking His schedule or helping only those who could help him back.  The beauty of this verse is that he’s not asking us to bear the burdens of the world and do ALL things. He’s inviting us to be open to his plan and let him supply the direction, grace, mercy, love and strength we need.  In our acts of loving service, it’s a good idea to take an inventory of ALL the things we’re trying to accomplish and prayerfully sort through them. Maybe we’re trying to do a task that was meant to bring somebody else closer to God! Notice those in your faith community;  maybe our greatest task of the day is as simple as stopping to listen carefully to a person who just really needs to be heard.

A Seed To Plant:  In your daily prayer take a look at your “to do” list and ask God for the wisdom to know which tasks are really yours. Spend some time studying the way your favorite saint stayed focused on the one thing God was asking of them.
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​Blessings on your day!