The Little Engine

You’ve heard the story The Little Engine That Could and its famous chant, “I think I can, I think I can.” The story is great for encouraging young children that with enough focus and determination, you can persevere and do hard things. But when you encounter those difficult times in life as an adult, chanting “I think I can” is not enough. Your strength is limited, and in your weakness, that’s when you must rely on a different kind of power. As I traveled home from school one afternoon, I noticed the trains on the track, and there were two engines. I snapped a picture and sent it to my friend whose husband is a train enthusiast. She, of course, had the answer to the question I had been thinking: “Why would a train have two engines in its fleet?” The weight exceeds the capability of a single engine. 

Human ability is finite.  Even the most determined person reaches a limit. Determination and hard work are important qualities, but willpower eventually hits a wall.

Psalm 73:26: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  Even when your energy, plans, or confidence fail, God becomes the steady engine that keeps us moving.

John 15:5: “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” Anything fruitful depends on staying connected to the vine. If your actions are for something lasting, you must stay coupled to the engine.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness…when I am weak, then I am strong. The world teaches that weakness is a character flaw, but acknowledging your weakness is when God's strength is most visible. An engineer would not hesitate to ask for a second engine when the load becomes too heavy.

God supplies the power. When the weight is more than you can pull, God adds His strength to yours. When life gets heavy, depend on the one who can give you power.

Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Christ’s strength is about endurance and contentment and not about easy circumstances.

Isaiah 40:29-31: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”  When exhaustion threatens to take you under, couple a second engine with the hope God has for you.

Others help carry your burden.  God calls us to be the second engines for our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  When your load is too heavy, turn to fellow believers or prayers and advice to keep you on the track.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: “Two are better than one…if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” You are created to walk this life with others and not to travel solo.  A single engine can stall on a steep grade, and having a second engine can provide stability.

Adult life requires more than the simple mantra of that small engine. Your limited abilities provide the perfect track for God’s power to run. Like the second engine on a steep hill, God takes the weight that threatens to pull you backward or stop you from moving forward. The next time your load feels too heavy, change your chant of “I think I can” to a prayer to God, “I know you can, God.” Couple your engine with God’s engine and link with fellow believers, and praise God as he brings every car in His train safely over the mountain.