By the Power of God

By the Power of God

By the power of God
Do you feel inadequate to be God’s disciple? Are you struggling with insecurities? Today’s post is for you. Here’s what Paul wrote to Timothy from jail. Suddenly Timothy had to take up a primary leadership role and he felt inadequate and maybe a bit terrified of the size of the task waiting for him.

Then he receives this letter from Paul reminding him of a very encouraging fact in all of our lives: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. (2 Tim. 1:7, AMP,*)

When we are God’s children, we are never alone. When we abide in God, his spirit abides in us. And that spirit is not fearful or timid, it’s bold and loving and sensible. It reminds us of who we are and whose we are. We are empowered for victorious living on the spot.

Paul continues: So don’t be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus. (Tim. 1:8-10, MSG, emphasis added,*)

It is true that we can’t do things on our own. We might as well admit it right from the beginning. But that’s not the end. Because we can do anything through Christ who strengthens us. We can only keep going by the power of God. But that is more than enough. That is an unending supply of courage, power and energy for anyone who wants to do God’s will in their lives. That includes you and me.

There is no need to be timid or feel inadequate. It’s not about us. It has never been about us. And it won’t ever be about us. This beautiful salvation plan has always been, is and will be about God. And it will be empowered by the power of God, not by our own efforts. But we can do anything through Christ who strengthens us; we are self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. That’s why we don’t have to be intimidated by anything or anyone. God is on our side.

I think Paul’s letter was – by God’s grace – exactly what Timothy needed to carry on. I hope and pray this blog post – by God’s grace – will strengthen you on your Christian walk. Don’t be discouraged or dismayed. God is with you. And his spirit is at work in you and through you. So be bold. Be brave. The power of God is grater than anything else in this world and beyond.

Time to raise the roof! Let us praise the Lord!

I will sing of Your mighty strength and power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning; for You have been to me a defense (a fortress and a high tower) and a refuge in the day of my distress. (Psalm 59:16, AMP,*)

 

Gracious God,
Thank you for knowing us inside and out.
Thank you for sending encouragement to us when we need it.
Thank you for being always present in our lives
but let us also feel your presence.
Thank you that your salvation plan does not depend on us.
Thank you for being an unending supply of power, courage and energy.
Empower us for Christian living.
Make us bold and courageous for you.
We love you!
Be praised forever and ever!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Are you intimated by the size of tasks God asks you to do? What encourages you on your Christian walk?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you courageously follow God’s guidance wherever he leads you.

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses to Biblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.]

Photo courtesy of Matt Gruber, design Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty, Hear it on Sunday, use it on Monday, Playdates with God, and counting blessings with Ann Voskamp:  #1087 The Power of God strengthens us for his service. #1088 We don’t need to be intimidated by anything when we are on God’s side. #1089 We are empowered by God’s grace for anything God asks us to do. #1090 It’s not about us, it’s about God. #1091 We can be bold in Christ.

10 thoughts on “By the Power of God

  1. Blessings & TY, sis :))) an unending power supply is exactly what we need to be reminded of! Renewing our Spirit when we get weary on our Christian journey…sometimes the road gets long & we get tired, a fresh filling of His mighty power, yes, the supply is unending & always available to empower & propell us onward!

  2. I love that our strength comes from the Lord! I can’t even imagine doing things without Him. Well, I can, but that’s not a pretty sight! Thanks for this encouraging perspective!

    Blessings, Joan

  3. Mari-Anna … I LOVE that verse! Fear’s such a lousy platform for decision making, for loving, for living life. But moving through our days propelled by His power, love, sanity? Oh that’s what we need! Thanks for putting this on the table today! …

  4. Good words of encouragement, Mari-Anna. One thing I love about the story of Paul and Timothy is how Paul knew that it was the very thing that made Timothy an outcast–his mixed heritage–that made him the perfect ministry companion for Paul. I love how God uses the things men despise.

  5. I think far too often Christians place burdens on themselves we were never meant to carry. We feel “called” to do something and then take it upon ourselves to get it done. We forget that what God’s us for, He also has prepared a way to do it and a time to do it in. He wants to be involved in the full process, not just inspire dreams in us.
    It’s by His grace and through His power that we are to move through life. We aren’t saved and then just left to our devices.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RSS
Follow by Email