I can do nothing

 I can do nothing

 

One of the biggest traps and lies that I can fall into is thinking that I am enough and that I can do it or handle it. 
This statement may seem to be wrong by many because of the self-empowerment slogans we hear from all around us is that tell us how we are enough, we can do it and we have the power. What we fail to see is that if we are enough and we have to power to do it then we have the ultimate responsibility for accomplishing everything in our lives. It doesn’t take living very long to realize that this is a lie.  There are things that come up in life that we don’t have the intelligence, talent, ability, power, or finances to handle.  Seriously if we are enough to handle it we would never fail. 

Yet the truth, and comfort, is found in the last part of John 15:5

John 15:5 b. “for without Me you can do nothing.”

Jesus statement here isn’t a narcissistic, ego driven put down. He is stating a fact and one that brings me great comfort. Comfort in that it reminds me that I am not responsible to do ANYTHING by myself.  That my success in life is not based in my strength or relying upon my talents and resources. Confessing time, I am not that talented and I possess very little in regard to resources, abilities, connections, personality, charisma and all that the world says makes one successful. I learned from experience that I cannot make it happen. The bottom line is I am limited, BUT God is NOT. 

Look at the first part of John 15:5“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; 
My stress leaves me when I remember that Jesus doesn’t ask me to succeed, or accomplish anything. He just wants me to abide in Him. He will produce the fruit in me. He will do the accomplishing; He will produce the success. I am not nor will ever be enough but He is more than enough. When I remember this, I relax and just abide in Him and His rest.  Trusting in His limitlessness instead of falling into the inevitable depression that comes from me attempting to do it by myself and failing.