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Good Morning! Do you ever get so far behind on your responsibilities that you feel as if you will never catch up? Some of us may be there right now. Others of us may feel like that is where we ALWAYS are! There seems to be an ever growing divide between my abilities and my responsibilities. I just can't seem to keep up with all I have to do, no matter how hard I try.

That's God's plan; for He did not "begin a good work" so that we could perform it. No! Paul said in Romans 7:18 that no matter how hard he tried. As a matter of fact the harder he tried to perform His work as his work, the more he seemed to fail Him. He said it this way: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,). . ." This word flesh does not mean skin. It is referring to my body under the influence of my soul. It is referring to my "abilities". He goes on to say that within my personal abilities "dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me. . ." No matter how hard I WANT to do what I ought to do, I cannot find the power to "perform" it. His final phrase of this verse of denial indicates his absolute realization that his abilities do not match up with his responsibilities. "but how to perform that which is good I find not."

Paul, arguably the best Christian to ever live, couldn't find the ability to meet the qualifications of the performance based Christian life. If he can't do what He is supposed to do, then what makes us think we can?

So we see that it is NOT EVEN ME that is supposed to be "performing". It is His work, thus it is His performance. We all have memorized Philippians 1:6. But how many of us have meditated upon it during extremely stressful times? "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work IN YOU will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (EMPHASIS ADDED!).

So I am reminded, when I consider this verse, that my only "responsibility is to properly respond to His ability." When I allow Him to bridge the gap between my abilities and my responsibilities, the divide simply disappears and great productivity and personal profitability is enjoyed in my life and work.

He has great ability. I may be capable, but that does not make be able! He is able. I know He is able. The song told me so and if you don't believe our Kiddy songs, then believe the Bible, it tells us so as well.

We see the promise of His work "through us" giving us the necessary "strength" to meet our obligations in life is found in Philippians 4:13. But notice the actual preposition that is used to show us how to properly "respond" to His "abilities" that I may meet my "responsibilities" in life. Paul said it this way, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Hold on! Do not gloss over the phraseology of that verse. "Once memorized" is not "always comprehended". Notice what He says here. Yes, he says we "can do all things". And of course we see that all those things can only get done if we do them "through Christ". That does not claim my abilities. But rather it is proclaiming His abilities. Absent of His ability I am left with only my inabilities. So we see my abilities mean nothing if I give the responsibilities over to God. But how do we respond to His ability that we might experience greater productivity in our life and ministry? The next WORD explains it ALL!

Which! That's right, which! Not Who or who! Not what, but which! It is THIS FACT that I can do all things through Christ WHICH strengtheneth me. Not WHO strengthens me. He doesn't strengthen me so that I can do all things. He does all things and that is WHICH strengthens me. My response to His ability is to simply recognize His ability, my inability and rest wholly IN Him to perform that which He has begun IN ME. It is that WHICH strengtheneth me.

So we see God doesn't strengthen us to DO the work. God does the work. This strengthens me. I always gain more strength when I am at rest from my work then when I am at wrest with His work.

So we see we do not forsake our responsibilities. We forsake His responsibility. His responsibility is to perform a great work IN me. My responsibility is to simply respond right to His perfect performance. And for that, He has made me able, for He is able.

A QUESTION FOR TODAY'S MEDITATION: "Is my thought life helping or hurting my victory? Why"