When I was in high school, there was a teacher (may he rest in peace) who had a thing about Napoleon Bonaparte.
He would quote Napoleon to inspire us to achieve our goals academically and on the sports field. Leaning forward with his size 13 polished hoof on the front desk, he would eyeball the class with that trademark scowl on his face and say, “Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools”.
I must admit it sounded good. Many of my classmates took the advice and ran with it, achieving great success in their careers.
At the height of his rule, Napoleon the emperor saw himself the greatest among men, commanding honour and obedience from his Grand Armee and the people he had conquered.
He strived to elevate himself to the position of a deity among men. For him, nothing was impossible. However, the failed Russian campaign of 1812 and the defeat at Waterloo quickly brought him down to earth.
When our rugby 7s team ran on to the field for the finals in Rio, they were listening to the beat of a different drum.
Coach Ryan said they were so relaxed and quietly confident. When they played it seemed as if they were all in tune to an orchestra playing in their heads. They understood the movements in the musical composition.
That composition was Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
Who needs Napoleon?
