Bumblebees can’t fly – this myth apparently goes back as far as the 1930’s to students of Ludwig Prandti, a pioneer of aerodynamics at the University of Gottingen in Germany. Basically, they discussed a mathematical equation by engineer Andre Sainte-Lague which compared how airplanes fly and how bumblebees fly. His conclusion? Aerodynamically, mathematically, bumblebees can’t fly – and the story was born!
Obviously, the bumblebee neglected to read this revelatory research and continued to move its yellow and black striped body from flower to flower, helping to pollinate the earth.
When I first heard this axiom – at a youth camp many years ago – the story was accompanied by the scripture found in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The lesson, which obviously stuck with me, taught us campers that even when man says it can’t be done, we need to know we can do all things through God.
A good message to remember, indeed. However, that positive affirmation can still seem daunting – all things? We? Does that apply to issues of bad health, dysfunctional relationships, not enough money? Could that possibly be the key to conquer addictions, recover from devastating abuse or even reach that impossible dream?
I believe the answer is “yes,” and Paul spells out the “how” in verses 1-12. It’s almost as if Paul outlines the steps, then summarizes the results by emphasizing that “I can do all things through God who strengthens me” in the oft-quoted 13th verse. The entire chapter is quite enlightening, but let me highlight a few of those principles in those first few verses:
(1) v. 1 “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. In other words: "Get along with others -- don't keep quarreling."
Another way of saying this might be: "Choose to be happy instead of right." You might be surprised how often people will cling to the latter, saying things like “They were in the wrong, and I’m not going to talk to them until I get an apology.” Choosing to forgive anyway, be the bigger person and opting for happiness will definitely help you move on to “do all the things you’ve been wanting to do through Christ.”
(2) v.4 and v. 8: – “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice.” “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
Pay attention to, discuss and perhaps even write down the things you “rejoice” in. Think about it – what are you watching on TV, listening to on the radio or reading on the internet? Probably negative events occurring somewhere, anywhere. Then do you do a “group gripe” related to those things? Change the subject sometimes – you, of course, might encounter a reluctance to be positive; it’s so much more acceptable to “dis”cuss what’s wrong with everyone and everything!
(3) v.6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
When we’re worried or fearful, we actually wind up with weakened immune systems. Dr. Pert at the National Institute of Mental Health identified the chemicals in our body whose job is to communicate what we are feeling emotionally to our cells. These are amino acid chains called neuropeptides, and they actually carry their messages to all our cells, including those of our bones, muscles, and internal organs.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin studying patterns of brain activity have shown that positive states of mind like happiness and surprise enhance the immune system, while those of negative emotions like anger, sadness, and fear weaken it. Bottom line? It’s in our own best interests to keep thinking about all we can praise God for.
“Bumblebees can’t fly.” False. The truth lies in the fact that static (still) objects are governed by different stability laws than dynamic (moving) objects. For example, a bicycle left standing without support will fall over. When that bicycle gets rolling along, it’s quite stable. The same law applies to the bumblebee; as a static object it’s not aerodynamically stable. But when it’s flapping its wings, it’s a whole different story! When we keep “flapping our wings” and applying Paul’s lessons from Philippians 4, sure enough, we can “do all things through Christ who strengthens us.”
