FRANKLIN LIVING— You are not God’s answer to every little situation, problem or poor circumstance going on in your proximity.

It’s OK to say no sometimes. You weren’t created to bear the responsibilities of your parents, your spouse, your kids, your church or your community.

It’s great if you can be there to serve others; it’s absolutely a glory to God and a credit to your character in Christ. But you aren’t the only person in the world who needs to take a situation and fix things.

You aren’t omnipotent, and neither are you omnipresent. You are not God’s answer to every little situation that occurs.

Jesus is. Jesus is our answer collectively and individually. Jesus is the answer because He is omnipotent, and He is omnipresent. He’s with the single mom struggling to make ends meet. He’s guiding the dad working long hours away so he can enjoy a few minutes at home with his kids. Jesus is with each of us, and He loves each of us as if there was only one of us.

It’s beyond time that we recognize His place and our own place in this life! He’s the Sovereign Lord, and we’re His creation. We’re made to glorify His mighty name!

He’s been perfectly clear in how we should carry that glorification out: “Do everything you do to the glory of God,” 1 Corinthians 10:31. You glorify Him as you serve. You glorify Him as you smile, as you help, as you do good to others. Your role in His marvelous plan is to keep the faith by loving others. All those situations you speak life into are glories to His name.

You aren’t operating based on your own strength; it’s through His strength that we are here to help others. He strengthens each of us to make the whole community stronger, more spiritual and better able to lift one another up! We’re not the answer; He is.

If God wasn’t a part of this, none of the good we all experience would exist. He can use even the little bit we do to move mountains. With us things might seem impossible, but with God, all things are possible! Isn’t time each of us remembers we serve a great and powerful God? He can do amazing and wonderful things in our hearts, in our families and in our community.

Instead of stressing about the things we think must be done, let’s leave a little room for Jesus to work, and instead of all the rushing around, let’s enjoy His presence through the love of our precious neighbors. We aren’t here to be the “fixers,” but we can hold hands and stand together while He mends us. A great step toward His strength that you could take this week would be to attend worship and Bible study with the church. Sing the praises of Him who loves you with others who know none of us are sufficient in and of ourselves!

Trae Durden has been the preaching minister at North Highlands church of Christ in Russellville since January 2013. He is married to Leann Durden, and they have a daughter, Darcy Grace, and a son, Dalton.