Infinite Power

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

The other day, I was in a situation that bothered me.  Deeply.  I tried to put my feelings into words at the time, and they seemed to escape me.  Taking more time to pause and reflect, I was able to articulate what was happening.  In my mind, I had gotten comfortable in my faith believing that everything was happening because it was God’s will … until I didn’t agree with it.  Then I had begun to question whether God was with me or better yet was I with God.  When God makes us uncomfortable, He is trying to make something change from within.  A pastor once called it a ‘Holy Discontent.’  It means something within our spirit is so disruptive we cannot shake it and it will not let us go.  It was scary, and it made me want to run away and hide.  So, I began to just pray about it, and was reminded of one important aspect in my faith journey.

My goal is to try understanding what God wants me to do, and then draw on His strength to act.  He asks me to tune out the noise and trust Him.  That way, I move forward without worry or concern.  There is an inner determination and infinite strength telling me that where I am going is beyond my current condition, and if I focus on Him, I will get there.  This is what spiritual growth sounds like.

When you allow God to lead you, spiritual growth is attainable.  I love what Paul says in today’s verses.  First, there are the words that talk of the greatness of God.  Words such as ‘glorious, unlimited resources’ and ‘wide, long, high, deep’ describing Christ’s love for us.  Next, it expands on what God will give us.  ‘Empower, inner strength, experience, and strong’ are all words further underlining God’s gifts that we should expect for our trust given to Him.  Finally, the end result from all of this are the words, “Made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”  While these are simply words of prayer from Paul, they should be music to our ears when we are going through something difficult or challenging.  They remind us that when we cannot see a way out of circumstances, God always has a way for us.  Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”  This is what Paul understood as he prayed over the Ephesians for bigger things beyond what they could see.  Through Christ, we have strength where there is seemingly none left, and love for us when we feel alone.  We can be neither defeated nor denied for there is something better ahead for us.  We only need to claim victory in His name.

There is nothing you cannot overcome with the Lord’s help.  Our spiritual growth is not about our current circumstance.  It is about learning to see beyond our current circumstance to a future God intends for us.  Therefore, let us connect to that inner strength Paul spoke of looking beyond today and seeing our bright and glorious future.  What circumstances are affecting your view of God today?  How can you allow God’s vision for your future dictate the decisions of your current situation?  My prayer is that we remember to draw upon the infinite power of God.  Amen!

God's 'Plan A'

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.  Matthew 5:14-16

Monday marked my 50^th birthday.  In taking a moment to pause in reflect, I felt God tugging at me and making me uncomfortable.  I felt pushed to be more daring and willing to challenge my own comfort level.  Here is one area where I felt challenged; doing instead of just praying.  I have heard a lot of people speaking of the world being fallen and that the country needs to repent and turn to God after the many recent deaths of both civilians and police officers.  That on the surface sounds like a wonderful idea, and yes, we should always pray for more God in the world.  However that’s when I stopped to think about it.  Do we sometimes use praying for God to come down as an excuse to not do His work?  Another way of putting this is, do we leave things for God to handle just because it is either too uncomfortable or inconvenient for us to do it?

While God can certainly handle anything, sometimes we need to acknowledge we are Plan A.  I love these words from Jesus because it serves as a rallying cry.  It speaks to empowerment saying that we have God’s power to do His will whenever called on.  We often look at God as the Almighty, The great I Am, and many other terms of respect for His authority.  However we often fail to remember that through the Holy Spirit, God resides right within us.  I am not saying that we ourselves our God.  What I am saying is that we are often called upon to be His vessel, and as such must act to as one of my favorite sermons once said, “Go out and do!”  Thus whenever a situation calls for prayer, we must first pray to God what He wants from us.  It might be to just pray for help, but many times, He wants us to get our hands dirty and help someone.

God has given us so much!  He gives us His grace, love, and protection, but He also gives us power.  There is a saying that sometimes you ask the question, and sometimes, the answer is you.  Today’s verses say that we are His advocates for change and enlightenment in the world.  It is no wonder Jesus ends the book of Matthew saying, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  So let us be that light shining on the hilltop that cannot be hidden!  What do you need to change in your life to accommodate what God is asking of you?  How can you better discern when God wants prayer or commands actions?  My prayer is that we embrace that role of sometimes being His ‘Plan A.’ Amen.