"I Can Handle This", by Pastor Kevin Lynch

I like famous last words.

"It's cool. There's only a few of them." (Gen. George Armstrong Custer)

"That doesn't look too bad. How big can it be?" (Captain Edward Smith, RMS Titanic)

"That hemlock tea recipe you gave me is absol......." (Socrates)

"I can handle this." (Anyone who ever thought they could handle "this")

Whatever "this" might be, if you find yourself even thinking that "it" needs handling, chances are you probably can't.

Things that need to be "handled" generally need to have help in doing so.

I think that probably the most often repeated famous last words are "I can handle this."

Imagine if everybody heeded my response to that this morning.

Them: "I can handle this."

Me: "No you can't."

I could embellish that a bit, but then it would become advice.

Maybe some long, drawn out advice like Jerry gave George on Seinfeld:

"You know you really need some help. A regular psychiatrist couldn't even help you. You need to go to like Vienna or something. You know what I mean? You need to get involved at the University level. Like where Freud studied and have all those people looking at you and checking up on you. That's the kind of help you need. Not the once a week for eighty bucks. No. You need a team. A team of psychiatrists working round the clock thinking about you, having conferences, observing you, like the way they did with the Elephant Man. That's what I'm talking about because that's the only way you're going to get better."

That's called "advice without substance". Or, suggestions that don't work, but make us feel like we have helped.

But hey! Why worry? You can handle it. Right?

I could hope that someone at their computer this morning is reading this and taking a deep sorrowful breath saying to their self, "No, I can't. I really can't handle it. I need help."

There's all kind of difficulties that can arise that we cannot, absolutely cannot handle ourselves.

Sudden health crisis, financial burden, job loss, relationship strain, substance abuse, depression.

Crisis in faith.

You don't need poor advice. You need supernatural intervention.

You don't even need faith.

You just need to be desperate enough to finally see that your needs are beyond your own fixing.

That your needs are beyond anyone fixing them for you.

Yes, that's right. There is no knight on a white steed. No magic bullet. No mantra. No talisman. No shaman.

The bottom line (which oddly enough is generally recognized when we hit bottom) is God.

God.

I chuckle when I hear some "unchurched" folks say, "My problems need the wisdom of Solomon to solve."

Bingo.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (Amplified Bible)

"(5) Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. (6) In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths."

Remember I said you don't even need faith (should yours be waning this morning)?

All you need is desperation, desire, and determination. Not to solve your problem, but just to turn to God.

Just make up your mind to seek God.

Faith gets built or restored later.

Remember, Jesus died for you when you were a sinner, not a faith filled believer.

God doesn't ask your mouth to write checks your soul can't cash.

He just asks to give Him a shot.

If you're honest you will recall that you have placed your confidence and trust in a lot more ridiculous things than the concept of God helping you.

So, why not God?

Really. Why not?

You have another hot prospect cooking to solve your problem this morning?

No matter how good and promising it might look you don't.

All you really have is a God who loves you and will help you if you give Him the chance.

Stop counting on yourself to deal with it. You can't.

God can. God wants to. God will.

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><