Pull It From Within Me

“I guess I can pull it from within me.”  Those words characterize a sister’s approach to resolving a problem.  Rather than expecting a miracle, she mines her internal riches.  In this moment of enlightenment, she realizes God graciously gives her everything she needs to conquer any adversarial circumstances.  Whereas the problem is internal, the solution also lies within her.  She merely “pulls it from within me.”

That saying reminds me of a sermon illustration.  A family in Texas owns a large tract of land.  Occasional daydreaming causes the father to consider drilling for oil.  Thinking further about being rich makes him act on this impulse.  He brings a few oilrigs to the property and starts to drill.  At five hundred feet, no oil sprouts forth.  He digs further; at seven hundred and fifty feet, still, no oil emerges.  The father tries again.  At a thousand feet, he still does not discover any oil.  Against his inclinations and conventional wisdom, he digs even further.  Surprisingly, at twelve hundred feet, that blessed black, liquid oil shoots up out of the riches of the earth!  Was the father rich prior to reaching oil?  Indeed, he was!  He merely had to “pull it from within him.”

Likewise, we possess answers to our problems.  Further, we have incredible internal riches.  Will we dig within ourselves to discover inner healing and wholeness?  Ephesians 3:20 says that God is able to do “exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us.”  Yes, God’s amazing and miraculous acts surpass our human comprehension and description.  Yet, He empowers us to work on His behalf.  He places healing and riches within us.  In an interdependent and growing relationship, we obtain peace and wholeness.  The process resembles miners digging for invaluable jewels, minerals and other precious resources.

“Pulling from within me” requires practice of daily spiritual disciplines.  They include self-evaluation, prayer, affirmation of the Word of God, meditation, Bible study, imaging and daily quiet time.  Healing is a process!  It necessitates progress rather than perfection.  It demands commitment and hard work!  Mathematically, you cannot get something for nothing.  Similarly, in God’s economy, spiritual growth and personal development are fruit of faithful devotion to “pulling from within me.”

I recall a now deceased person whom I counseled consistently for a year.  As we discussed her problems and she settled comfortably into the victims’ couch, the sessions went well.  She was content to sit and polish the problem ad infinitum.  Not surprisingly, I reached a point where I began to ask about her ideas for resolving the problem.  She immediately terminated the counseling sessions.  In essence, she wanted me to serve as her enabler.  Instead, I challenged her to reach for the solution rather than stay in victim’s mode.  She refused to “pull it from within herself.”

Self-discipline is one of the most crucial aspects of “pulling it from within me.”  Regardless of your dilemma, self-control arrests the problem.  We eliminate our liabilities; if not, we neutralize them.  Painstakingly following wise counsel of spiritual mentors greatly aids us in this quest.  Spiritual growth does not lend itself to periodic spurts of interests.  It insists upon wholesale commitment.  Daily, we practice self-discipline as we take the next right step in faith.

I pray you will “pull from within you” the answers to your daily challenges.  Almighty God offers practical methods and spiritual tools to resolve any dilemma.  We are neither helpless nor hopeless in any adversity whether internal or external.  We have blessed assurance of divine resources to equip us to succeed and excel.

Are you willing to “pull it from within me?”