Devotions - Monday, August 18

Jesus knew his own limits. In John 5:19 he says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord."

Knowing one's limits is a good thing to remember. It prevents us from venturing too far into uncharted territories; it prevents us from promising more than we can ever hope to deliver; it means that our talk will be matched by our walk. Even Jesus admitted that of which he was capable and that which was not within his grasp.

I need to acknowledge the tone of the preceding paragraph. I don't mean to imply that Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is limited. Rather, I am using this verse of scripture in order to highlight Jesus (the man)'s understanding of where his ability to accomplish anything at all comes from.

The verse continues.... "the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing." This completes the thought. Jesus may be unable to do anything of his own accord, but in mimicking the Father, he is able to accomplish amazing things.

We should also be humble enough to realize that the great things of which we are capable are possible because of the gifts that God has given us. Our minds, our insights, our work - all of this is possible as a result of what our Father has done. We are able to do, because of what our Father has first done.

There are times when we might feel discouraged. Those emotions come over us when we become too detached from the One who is able to accomplish all things. We become frustrated with our limits when we compare ourselves to those around us, looking at them rather than to the Father who gave the ability to accomplish our own tasks.

On our own, we can accomplish nothing. But when we keep our eyes focused on God, we are able to do that which is needed in the kingdom which bears His name.

Pastor Chris