About a decade ago, when I learned of the death of famous boxer Muhammad Ali, my mind immediately began to recall some of his most famous words and victories. Though Ali did not have God’s Spirit, one of his quotes helped me both in and beyond my academic pursuits.
In my college dorm, it seemed that half of the rooms had on the wall a picture of Ali standing victorious over a defeated foe, with a caption of what he had said about doing the impossible: “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
Impossible is nothing. This even helped in my relationship with God, as it made me think of two scriptures. Jesus Christ famously told His disciples, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). The Apostle Paul put it a bit differently when he declared, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Though Ali likely did not have those scriptures in mind, his quote pointed my mind to them, which helped me understand that impossible truly is nothing if we rely on God!
If we simply look at the flesh, we can say that some things are impossible. Can you travel to Pluto? Can you earn a doctorate in every possible field? Can you become an Olympic athlete in any and every sport? Can you save every person who is dying of cancer? Again and again, the answer is “no”—these are impossible for us. Does this mean that Ali—and, more importantly, Scripture—was wrong in saying that impossible is nothing? No! If we let the Bible answer the Bible, we see that all things truly will one day be possible for Christians who draw close to God over the course of their lives, using His Holy Spirit within them to seek the true reward He offers His servants.
Interestingly, the Bible even uses boxing to deliver a very important lesson. Paul, though not advocating violence, uses the sport to show how a Christian should draw close to God by living with purpose: “So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing [wasting punches]. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should” (1 Corinthians 9:26–27, New Living Translation). If we, as God’s servants, imitate athletes (even boxers) in this way, God promises to reward us at the resurrection. Later, Paul tells us that the reward of the saints will be their resurrection to eternal, spiritual life—which is characterized by glory, power, and incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:42–53).
To those of us who accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice—and pursue our walk with God with greater determination than boxers pursue their prize—will come the reward of becoming God’s kings and priests at the resurrection, tasked with healing the world (Revelation 5:10). What will happen to the “impossible”? It will all change in the twinkling of an eye! Yes, you will be able to travel to Pluto, master any subject, and save those who are suffering from any ailment! You will even be able to teach all of mankind about true, biblical Christianity.
Although it can be easy to focus on what is impossible for the flesh to do, if we truly draw close to God and have faith in the promises He makes in the Bible, a day is coming when we will be able to show the world that, truly, impossible is nothing.