Facing the impossible

With Project Hail Mary out now, Managing Editor Ivan Radford encourages us to trust in God when we doubt ourselves.

‘I put the “not” in astronaut!’ protests Dr Ryland Grace near the start of Project Hail Mary. The science fiction adventure, based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir, stars Ryan Gosling as Grace, a scientist-turned-schoolteacher who finds himself on an interstellar mission to try and stop the sun from dimming. He can’t remember how he wound up in space, but he knows one thing for certain: he’s not the man for the job.

Trying to save our solar system – and the burning orb at its centre – is a plot point that comes up again and again in sci-fi stories and it’s easy to see why: who wouldn’t want to root for a Hail Mary mission against impossible odds?

Well, Grace, for one. A biologist who left his profession after being ridiculed by others, he doesn’t believe he can make a difference, even when called to help the entire planet. ‘I’ve never done a space walk,’ he points out. ‘I can’t even moonwalk!’

We’ve all been afraid at some point that whatever we do won’t be good enough. When God calls us to do something that seems impossible, we can retreat in fear. And when we do step up, we can worry we’re not doing it right.

As humans, we frequently fall short of the mark, but we’re not meant to rely solely on ourselves. Proverbs 3:5 cautions us to ‘trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding’, and Philippians 4:13 encourages us: ‘I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength’ (New Living Translation).

It’s so easy to think that doing your best means being perfect. But doing your best doesn’t mean that: it means offering up what you can, while being mindful and forgiving of your own capacity and limitations. Because it’s not about relying on our own strength, which will only lead us to burnout and exhaustion; it’s about God’s infinite grace, power and provision.

‘To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it,’ reassures Ephesians 4:7. The passage reminds us that God’s provision often comes through friends, both expected and unexpected – others in the body of Christ whose gifts can complement ours as we work together, and support each other, in God’s service.

None of this is an excuse to half-heart it, but a challenge to look past ourselves and keep our eyes on God – our doubts about ourselves shouldn’t get in the way of us trusting in him. Even in impossible situations, we can trust in the Lord, because he is an against-all-the-odds God: we’ve only just celebrated Easter, the most remarkable against-all-the-odds rescue mission of all time. Do you really think there’s a limit to what God can do?

If you fear you’re not doing enough, or doing well enough, trust in God – in the gifts he has given you to honour him and, moreover, in the grace with which he has given them. As countless people in the Bible demonstrate, God doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the called. And, whether you’re an astronaut or a boy with five loaves and two fishes (see John 6:1–14), take courage in the assurance that God will multiply anything you offer up to him in sacrifice and faith. Project Hail Mary’s feel-good factor lies in an unlikely hero’s journey of self-awareness, compassion, friendship, bravery and hope – as Christians, we’re called to go on a similar voyage. Good news: there’s no moonwalking required.

Reflect and respond

• ‘God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us’ (The Message). Reflect on different translations of Ephesians 3:20. What phrases stick with you and why?
• What task is daunting you at the moment? Offer it up to God and pray for confidence in his grace, power and provision.