At 5’9”, Warrick Dunn is too small to play professional football. But he did for 12 years in the NFL, racking up impressive stats in both Tampa and Atlanta. Dunn started out in life too poor to ever think of being a millionaire. But he earned over $36 million in his football contracts, became a minority owner of the Falcons in 2009, and was inducted into their Ring of Honor in December 2017.
Dunn heard others tell him since he was a young boy all the things he could not do. He simply did not believe them.
In ignoring naysayers, Dunn keeps impressive company. David was told he was too small to fight a giant, but he won. Ten spies told the Israelites they could never conquer the fortified cities of Canaan, but they did. Nehemiah was told not to attempt to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, but he built them anyway. Even Jesus was told that, being from Nazareth, he surely could not be the savior of the world. But he surely was.
What have people told you? That you are worthless? That you’ll never amount to anything? You can’t change? Or more subtly, that you are just an average person?
More importantly, what do you tell yourself? How often do you say, “I can’t?” Or, “I’ll never?” We often believe ourselves over any other voice we hear.
But hear what God says about you. “We are God’s offspring” (Acts 17:29). “To those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). “Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23). “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
What powerful, potential-packed statements! The Creator of the marvels of this universe, the inventor of life, he who made you with all your unique complexities, says that everything is possible for you if you believe.
No, that does not mean that everybody can do everything. “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Without him, we have no promises. It may not be his will for you run through brick walls. But it is his will for you to enjoy a promising, productive life. It is his will for you to have love, joy, and peace. It is his will for you to grow and stretch to new heights.
It’s not that everybody can do everything, but everybody can do something. God says so!
People may tell you that you can’t. You may tell yourself. God says you can. Whom will you believe?

Keith Wishum is minister, Williams Road Church, Americus.