Things you can't do no matter how hard you try

I was reading this funny list of things that are “nearly impossible yet you are going to try and do them when you read them.” Here’s the list:

1. Touch your nose with your tongue
2. Tickle yourself
3. Put your entire fist in your mouth
4. Write the #6 while moving your foot clockwise
5. Eat a spoonful of cinnamon
6. Raise only one eyebrow
7. Lick your elbow
8. Sneeze with your eyes open
9. Wiggle your ears (okay I can do this one a little)

 But the list got me thinking about what things we really can’t do … any of us. We live in a ‘can do’ society and so are there really things we can’t do? I think the answer is yes.

1.  You can’t do what God wants you to do and always avoid conflict – Remember that God’s ways are not the ways of the world. When we try to live for the Lord and let Christ be seen in our life, those who are not walking with Christ will oppose us and often present conflict in our lives. So we have to decide if we’d rather please God and endure conflict occasionally or please man and consistently avoid conflict.
2. You can’t follow Jesus and remain the same – Whether it’s in personal bible study, corporate worship, or prayer time, the Lord is always showing me something more about myself and His will for my life. I find it more difficult to stay the same than it is to change.
3. You can’t expect to impact the world if you are attempting to answer questions no one is asking – I think this is where the church often gets ‘lost in the weeds’ so to speak. Rather than taking the hope of the gospel and showing how it is relevant to how people live today, how it can take broken lives and make them new. We often get caught up in “church work” to where we forget to do the work of the church, namely loving God and loving others.
4. You can’t fail if you are doing what God has called you to do – We confuse the world’s standard of success with how God views success. Whereas the world judges success by profit margins, victories, positions, power, etc. God judges success simply on the basis of obedience. God didn’t tell us to win people to Christ; He told us to witness of Him. God judges our success simply by our willingness to obey.
5. You can’t honor God by trying to be someone else – God has uniquely made you; there is no one on earth exactly like you. When you or I try to be someone else we are in essence telling God that He got us wrong and so we will try and fix His mistake. Just be who God has called you to be, God doesn’t want it any other way!

 There are others I could list and maybe will later but these five are enough for now.