THE QUEST FOR POWER

“Many Christians estimate difficulty in the light of their own resources, and thus they attempt very little and they always fail. All giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence to be with them.” – Hudson Taylor.

Power.

Do you have it? Do you want it? What are you willing to do to get it? Power can be dangerous. History has shown that those who love power and seek after it can do tremendous harm in the world. Power and its pursuit have corrupted many leaders in all spheres of life. But there is power and then there is the power of God to do anything in this world and beyond.

Jesus came into this world, and He could have quickly taken over. After all, who would stop Him? But instead, He chose the posture and status of a servant, submitting to the suffering of persecution and death on the cross so that people could have a relationship with God. Rather than courting rulers and powerbrokers, Jesus sought out people who were poor, disadvantaged, outcasts, and otherwise forgotten. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ modeled for us the loving posture of humility and service that true power displays.

In Ephesians 1:19-21 Paul prays that we might “ understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.”

Experiencing the power of God the Holy Spirit is not an exceptional, rare, or sporadic phenomenon. This is no ordinary power; this is God’s power. This power is without limit. It never falls short of accomplishing what God has designed for it. And if that were not enough, this immeasurably great power lives inside the believer’s soul.

God intended it to be the routine, ordinary, daily reality in the life of every believer, regardless of their education, social standing, financial status, or role in the church. This power isn’t merely available to you this week or next year. The believer should live in it and draw from it every moment of every day.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you tap into the power of God? How does the power of God show up in our daily lives?