“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” - Matthew 28:18
Do you want your life to make a difference? Do you long for God to use you to positively impact the lives of others around you? This seems to be a lofty goal, but often the mundane events of life seem to bog us down, don't they? What we fail to realize is that often these routine activities are among the ways we make the greatest difference.
As we consider the subject of making a difference, we must consider some basic principles laid out for us in the Scriptures. Today we are going to focus on the most important principle of all: the power source.
A few days ago, I wanted to quickly print a few pages. But when I pressed the “print” button from within my software, my printer did not respond. I don't use my printer very often at home, but when I do, it tends to be very reliable. This time it wasn't. Ultimately, I found that the power adapter had gradually worked itself loose from the receptacle. Without electric power, the best printer will remain useless.
The same is true of our lives. We must have energy to accomplish our daily tasks. We need to have inner strength, as well as physical strength to get through tough days. We need the power of God.
Just like my printer, neglect can cause us to gradually lose power. It isn't because God has a power crisis. Instead, we tend to take God for granted. We are very presumptuous. Spiritual neglect is a dangerous condition.
In physics, power is defined as “the ability to do work.” We know that definition is spiritually applicable for believers. Yet here is the important lesson we need to learn: IT IS WHAT GOD DOES IN US AND THROUGH US THAT MAKES AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE. Although God may use my gifts, talents and skills, it is His power that makes a life-changing difference.
You see, an unbeliever can serve at a soup kitchen. A lost man can give blood. A sinner can volunteer to work in community projects. But it takes a Spirit-filled man to be used to make an eternal difference. When a person gets saved, the Lord comes to abide in His life. We need His working power operating in our lives. Apart from the Lord, our efforts are in vain.
Jesus said, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Notice that He has ALL power. The power we need is available in Christ. Yet, He will not be manipulated. We don't “use” God to get the results we desire. When we abide in Christ, we bear God-honoring fruit. Our job is to abide. It is His job to produce fruit in our lives.
Sadly, many believers neglect their time with God each day. Slowly over time, they experience spiritual brown-out. Electrical brown-out occurs when something interferes with the electrical line, causing the voltage to drop below tolerance. Electrical brown-out causes the household lighting to get dim --- and remain that way until the problem is solved. Spiritually, many suffer from brown-out. I've known of people who were once zealous for the Lord. God was using them. Yet today they are living powerless lives. Once the light within was powerfully visible. Now it is extremely dim. Repentance of sin and neglect can rid us of spiritual brown-out.
Another mistake that believers make is to take credit for what God does. If God uses you to make a positive difference, give Him all the credit. Make sure He gets the glory. Instead, many let success go to their heads. They, too, quickly experience spiritual brown-out. God will not share His glory with others.
It is not our job to create power. It isn't our job to manipulate power. Instead, it is our job to abide in Christ and obey Him. When we abide in Christ, His power is at work in us.
To be brutally honest, we need the Lord in every aspect of our lives. We are dependent on Him for our next breath. We can't abide in Him or obey Him without His help. Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” Without Him, we are powerless.
Nothing causes darkness to flee like the presence of light. Rather than cursing the darkness, we are to be the light of the world. Let your light shine today. By God's grace and by His power, may your light shine brighter than ever!
No comments:
Post a Comment