"I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]." -Philippians 4:13 (AMP)
After winning Super Bowl XLVIII, Russell Wilson, quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, spoke of a lesson that he learned from his father. While growing up, Russell Wilson said his father would ask him, "Why not you?" Even though critics have questioned the quarterback's size and skill set, he said he recalls the words of his father as encouragement and motivation. He knows that with a faith in God, his talents will be put to good use.
Whenever an opportunity presents itself to you, consider this: Is God saying to you, "Why not you?" Too often we look at our skills, or lack thereof, and think "I can't." We defeat ourselves and don't allow God to help us before we even try! The Bible tells us that we can do all things through Jesus Christ. In the Amplified Bible's interpretation of the scripture (Philippians 4:13), we are reminded that although each of us is insufficient on our own, Jesus' gift to us is the inner strength to be "self-sufficient" in anything!
In a past interview, Russell Wilson spoke of his faith by saying:
“My dad used to always tell me, ‘There’s a king in every crowd.’ What that means is, with my faith, God is always watching me. With my dad passing away, he’s always watching me — a big smile on his face, watching every snap on the 50-yard line. And then you never know what coach or GM is watching you. And the main thing that always stuck with me, you never know what kid is watching you, what kid wants to be like you.”
God, our Heavenly Father, is watching us. He knows what we are facing. He knows that if we try to rely on our own skills we will not succeed in the long run. Thankfully, God is filled with grace and He gives us strength through His son, Jesus Christ. God can and will make us a king (or queen) in any and every crowd. Whenever you see an opportunity, don't defeat yourself, but rely on God to empower and strengthen you. Only then will you be able to deliver a victory for His kingdom.
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for strengthening me and allowing me to accomplish great things for You. Please help me to remember that I can do anything when I am working for You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.