Do You Believe in the Impossible?
Most of us are quick to reply with a resounding "absolutely" when asked if we believe that all things are possible, yet our words often don't match the truth of our confession. I've even convinced myself that I fervently believe in the impossible... until I really think about it. What I've discovered after careful evaluation is that I believe more in the idea of the impossible as it weighs against the improbable.
I believe in sowing and reaping - that if you're a kind person you'll receive kindness, and if you're friendly you'll be surrounded by lots of friends. But if you're selfish, mean and hateful you'll be surrounded by those of like kind. I believe if you're giving of yourself (gifts, money, possessions, inspiration, dreams, talents, time) to others in lack, you'll never be without. But do I REALLY believe that? I think I believe in the idea of the concept more than the actual execution. My experiences in life doesn't 't fit securely into that little box. Don't get me wrong, I like the box. I'd love to live inside that box and experience all that it has for me. Don't misunderstand me - I believe the concept of sowing and reaping is the Truth - a natural law just as effective as the law of gravity; the precedence is clearly set and the evidence is clearly evident - it's my belief that has wavered. This also goes for my belief that with God nothing is impossible.
The biggest hindrance I believe when it comes to the impossible is the boxes in which we place ourselves. If you don't believe you live in a box, you've deceived yourself already. It's in our human nature to create the ideas of what is right, wrong, truth, lie, fact or fiction. We sort these out in our beliefs and place them into tightly wrapped boxes and organize them neatly on our life shelves. This goes for all humanity, not just the religious. When we are faced with the exception to the rules we've accepted, we falter and our foundations are shaken and some of our boxes lose their lids or our walls crumble. So, what do we do... we build more boxes. They may look different than the first ones, but they're still boxes. Believing that EVERYTHING is possible is to live outside the box; out where it's uncomfortable, where it's improbable and where you'll come against those who are still inside.
Still don't believe you live inside a box? Let's play a game called "What Would God Do?" Most of us just created the biggest box we've ever seen, based on our own beliefs and ideas. We're pretty intimate on our knowledge of God and sure of how He would act - having read His exploits in the Good Book.
Now ask yourselves these simple questions:
Did the people in Noah's day believe God would flood the world? He never had before, given no precedent and surely He wouldn't kill the very species He created. This was not a belief that fit in their little boxes, therefore they saw no need for Noah and his ark. Only Noah thought outside the box and built what had never been imagined to escape the improbable.Did Abraham's family believe God would have him leave everything he'd ever known to go to a place he'd never been? Would God then ask Abraham to sacrifice his son, one born of a promise and a miracle during his old age? Again there was no precedence to believe such impossible things - but only Abraham believed outside the box - he believed in the miracle of birth and the hope of deliverance when all natural sense compiled of the boxes of logic told him different. He moved; he climbed the mountain and he bound his son.Did the Israelite believe Moses when he told them God would deliver them from the bondage of slavery out of Egypt and provide for them? Did they believe in the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea and the daily provision of Manna? God had never moved like that before - again there was no precedence. The Israelite didn't believe God either - they didn't believe the daily miracles they saw with their own eyes because it was all outside their boxes. Their boxes caused them to wander in the wilderness for over 40 years. Other than Caleb and Joshua - only their children and grandchildren entered the promised land because they refused to act on what they claimed to believe.Still believe in the impossible? No matter what faith you believe or what religion you follow, even those who choose to follow none, the only things you truly believe are the things do; the things you act upon. If you believed in the impossible, you would do the impossible. That's the only way to know; that's the only evidence available. Everything else is speculation and supposition - no matter how passionately you feel about it.
Perhaps next time when someone asks you if you believe that all things are possible, you'll step back and examine yourself and see how often you step out of your box and into the unknown and experience the impossible before you answer. I hope your answer is still "absolutely".
I believe in sowing and reaping - that if you're a kind person you'll receive kindness, and if you're friendly you'll be surrounded by lots of friends. But if you're selfish, mean and hateful you'll be surrounded by those of like kind. I believe if you're giving of yourself (gifts, money, possessions, inspiration, dreams, talents, time) to others in lack, you'll never be without. But do I REALLY believe that? I think I believe in the idea of the concept more than the actual execution. My experiences in life doesn't 't fit securely into that little box. Don't get me wrong, I like the box. I'd love to live inside that box and experience all that it has for me. Don't misunderstand me - I believe the concept of sowing and reaping is the Truth - a natural law just as effective as the law of gravity; the precedence is clearly set and the evidence is clearly evident - it's my belief that has wavered. This also goes for my belief that with God nothing is impossible.
The biggest hindrance I believe when it comes to the impossible is the boxes in which we place ourselves. If you don't believe you live in a box, you've deceived yourself already. It's in our human nature to create the ideas of what is right, wrong, truth, lie, fact or fiction. We sort these out in our beliefs and place them into tightly wrapped boxes and organize them neatly on our life shelves. This goes for all humanity, not just the religious. When we are faced with the exception to the rules we've accepted, we falter and our foundations are shaken and some of our boxes lose their lids or our walls crumble. So, what do we do... we build more boxes. They may look different than the first ones, but they're still boxes. Believing that EVERYTHING is possible is to live outside the box; out where it's uncomfortable, where it's improbable and where you'll come against those who are still inside.
Still don't believe you live inside a box? Let's play a game called "What Would God Do?" Most of us just created the biggest box we've ever seen, based on our own beliefs and ideas. We're pretty intimate on our knowledge of God and sure of how He would act - having read His exploits in the Good Book.
Now ask yourselves these simple questions:
Did the people in Noah's day believe God would flood the world? He never had before, given no precedent and surely He wouldn't kill the very species He created. This was not a belief that fit in their little boxes, therefore they saw no need for Noah and his ark. Only Noah thought outside the box and built what had never been imagined to escape the improbable.Did Abraham's family believe God would have him leave everything he'd ever known to go to a place he'd never been? Would God then ask Abraham to sacrifice his son, one born of a promise and a miracle during his old age? Again there was no precedence to believe such impossible things - but only Abraham believed outside the box - he believed in the miracle of birth and the hope of deliverance when all natural sense compiled of the boxes of logic told him different. He moved; he climbed the mountain and he bound his son.Did the Israelite believe Moses when he told them God would deliver them from the bondage of slavery out of Egypt and provide for them? Did they believe in the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea and the daily provision of Manna? God had never moved like that before - again there was no precedence. The Israelite didn't believe God either - they didn't believe the daily miracles they saw with their own eyes because it was all outside their boxes. Their boxes caused them to wander in the wilderness for over 40 years. Other than Caleb and Joshua - only their children and grandchildren entered the promised land because they refused to act on what they claimed to believe.Still believe in the impossible? No matter what faith you believe or what religion you follow, even those who choose to follow none, the only things you truly believe are the things do; the things you act upon. If you believed in the impossible, you would do the impossible. That's the only way to know; that's the only evidence available. Everything else is speculation and supposition - no matter how passionately you feel about it.
Perhaps next time when someone asks you if you believe that all things are possible, you'll step back and examine yourself and see how often you step out of your box and into the unknown and experience the impossible before you answer. I hope your answer is still "absolutely".
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