Power!!

For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you! Luke 10:19

During storms, we sometimes lose the luxury of electricity, and we quickly realize the importance of power in our lives. Without power, we lose the convenience of using our ovens and stoves, watching television, keeping food in our refrigerator cold and especially the power to see in the darkness because our “lights are out.”

This theme of power runs throughout the Gospel of Luke. It begins in Chapter 9 when Jesus gives the 12 Disciples the power and authority over all demons and the power to cure diseases. The power continues as the Disciples feed the 5000 with five loaves of bread and two fish.

The word, power, is defined as the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. In the Gospel of Luke, the disciples were granted power from on high to go about doing good.

Power can be good in the hands of some, but it can be detrimental in the hands of others. Take for instance our grandson, Reese. Reese was given the distinct honor of serving on safety patrol for a time in his elementary school. The safety patrol’s job is to monitor the students as they arrive and depart from school every day making sure they are walking in the halls, not loitering, and generally following the rules.

Some students may think of this as just a job, but Reese loved the power of “telling everybody what to do.” After a week of this power, at the end of the day when he finally got in the car after a hard day’s work, his words were, “Well, just another day of the same old, same old.”

Sometimes life can do that to us. It can cause us to take the power that God has given us as Christians and children of God for granted and begin to think of it as the same old, same old.

That’s not the way God would want us to view the power He bestows on us. God hasn’t give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but He has given us a spirit of power, love and self discipline. Jesus has the power to help us use our power to discard warped philosophies, tear down barriers that can be erected against the truth of God fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Jesus gives us the power to use ordinary, every day things for His purposes. We have the means to take something we have and use it to let people know that they matter to God and they matter to others. That’s the power of caring.

Jesus also gives us the power to change a bad situation. When we are up against a tough situation, the first essential is to stand up to it. Face it and hit back hard with the knowledge that there is enough power given to you by God to overcome the situation. Jesus has the power to redeem things and give us the chance to get through it. The past can be forgotten with a new time, a new start, and a new beginning. Charles Martin in his book Long Way Gone says “No gone is too far gone” because Jesus can redeem our bad situation.

Jesus has given us the power to change our attitude about the past, the present and the future. Faith is believing that God is telling the truth about this power. In order to get the results God’s word promises for a change of attitude, we must place our absolute trust and confidence in His power, His wisdom, and His goodness. No life or attitude is beyond the power of Jesus.

Jesus also gives us the power of forgiveness for ourselves and for others. The Lord’s prayer reminds us to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The Christians way involves a cross where Jesus paid for our sins and offers forgiveness for those who will confess our sin and follow Him. If He can forgive us, shouldn’t we forgive others?

Jesus died for us all. All we need to do is use the power of caring, change and forgiveness He gives us to come to the Father and let Him redeem the things in life that keep us from acknowledging all our power. There is no power without God.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen