Like many people, I have watched some of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, otherwise known as March Madness. I can’t help but be amazed at the amazing skills and athleticism of these athletes. Most have innate abilities that have been fine tuned by knowledgeable coaches and trainers. They are fully committed to perform at their best and reach their goal of a national championship.
Are you and I as committed to reaching our goals? Have we trained sufficiently and practiced the skills necessary? Have we consulted with the right experts to learn how to make the best of our efforts?
Doing all these things is good, but if these things are all we do, we are missing the point of life. Our eyes are horizontally focused, when they should be vertically directed. We must recognize that God gave us the innate abilities that we possess. He placed us under knowledgeable coaches and counselors. He gives us the power to progress to the next level. He even guides the circumstances that lead us to do well and provide benefits.
The apostle Paul was a wise, learned, and fanatically trained man. He is credited with bringing the gospel to most of the known world during his lifetime. He wrote much of the New Testament. Yet, he also penned these words in II Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” A defining attribute of Christians is our dependency upon God. We recognize that any good thing comes from Him and not by our own efforts. When good things are produced, we must remember to praise God, the source of power to do good.
Reluctant Retiree 