In the Gospel of John 6:1-15, the disciples were too quick to confess their inadequacies. And they said, “five loaves and two fish are all we have.” They only saw the problem not the solution. They only saw their weaknesses and not their strength. They embraced pessimism and elbowed optimism. They let fear in and shut faith out. They only saw the impossible. Faced with the challenge of having to feed the crowds, they were overwhelmed and they said, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
In the book of Genesis chapter 18, God sent words to Sarah, “This time next year, you will be child.” But Sarah “laughed.” A dismissive laughter. I would to think Sarah said, “I hear you but this is not going to happen.” She wanted a baby but thought time was no longer on her side.
In the book of Exodus chapter 3, the Lord said to Moses, “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?”
In the book of Judges chapter 6, the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.” And Gideon replied, “Please sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this befallen us?” God still said to him, “go in this might of yours and deliver my people.” And Gideon replied, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am least in my family.
In the book of Jeremiah chapter 1, God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” But Jeremiah said, “Lord, behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”
It is very easy to underestimate yourself and what you are capable of. I wish to remind you that you are created in the image and likeness of the Almighty and powerful God. The God with whom all things are possible. And since you have His breath in you, you have His power in you, you have His strength in you, and you have His grace in you.
The most common way people give up power is by thinking that they don’t have any. And you will never know what else you are if you lock up in the cubicle of fear, mediocrity, self-pity and cynicism. Certainly, your thought becomes your words, your word becomes your actions and your action becomes your reality.
Faith is not an emotion; it exists to the contradiction of emotion. Faith is not an intellectual thing. Faith does not exist in our emotion; it exists in our spirit. If you do not have anything to hope for, your faith will have nothing work with. You may have more than just five loaves and two fish.
There is more to you than you know.
Fr. Abraham