Motivational speakers tell us that we need to know how to be our own coach and give ourselves a pep talk when necessary. They advocate cultivating a crisp sentence we can speak to our hearts when we need a boost. A stimulant to get our psychological adrenaline flowing. Wind in which to spread our emotional wings so we can soar. A helping hand to lift our spirits when they’ve been knocked to the canvas.

Grace Focused Optimists have this kind of sentence. Here it is: I can because Jesus can.

But I can because Jesus can isn’t a psychobabble con-job. It’s simply paraphrasing Paul’s “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). That makes it as true as the fact that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And penicillin effective for the bacteria of discouragement. And as useful as a Swiss Army Knife in situation after situation.

In fact, I can because Jesus can is a multi-tasking motto that will help you face difficult commands, handle unpleasant tasks, and carry heavy burdens.

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You Aren’t Born to Lose

 Norman Vincent Peale was once strolling the streets of Hong Kong. He passed by a tattoo parlor. In the windows were drawings of available tats. One caught his eye. It read, “Born to lose.” Peale couldn’t believe anyone would deliberately vandalize his body with such defeatist graffiti. He marched in and asked the shop owner, “Does anyone really have those wretched words tattooed on him?”

“Yes,” the man said. Peale shook his head sadly.

“I just can’t believe anyone could do that.” The Solomon-wise owner tapped his head with his forefinger and said, “Before tattoo on body, tattoo on mind.”

On the other hand, there’s the little girl who once walked with Oliver Wendell Holmes. He was one of America’s most famous Supreme Court judges. Holmes was walking in his hometown when the girl joined him. After they walked for a while she turned to go home. Holmes told her, “Young lady, when your mother asks you where you’ve been, tell her you’ve been walking with Oliver Wendell Holmes.”

“Okay,” she cheerfully answered. “And when your folks ask you about where you’ve been, tell them you’ve been walking with Mary Susana Brown.”

I like her panache. Her belief that she’s special.

Christian, so are you.

You aren’t born to lose. God doesn’t want you to be bullied by the world, the flesh, and the devil. You’re reborn to win.

God’s remade you, given you new life in His Son, sent His Spirit to live in you so that you could be “more than conqueror” over everything you face (Romans 8:37).

And He’s given you a truth that can help you do that. A truth He wants you to use now to help you obey a difficult commandment or endure a heart-piercing trial or get up after a gut-wrenching failure.

I can because Jesus can.

Are you living wisely by serving Jesus? Download our free Bible Study on being useful: No Little People


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