Our Source of Strength

     I’ve heard stories about people who, in moments of crisis, are able to muster an amount of super-human strength.  A man is able to lift a car off of someone stuck underneath it.  Workmen tunnel through rock to rescue those trapped inside a collapsed mine shaft.  A soldier carries a wounded comrade for miles to a field hospital.

     Where does this extraordinary strength come from?  Why can’t we use it more often for ordinary problems of life?  Can you imagine the great things we would be able to do if we could just tap into this resource at will? 

     The Bible tells us often that we do have access to a tremendous amount of strength every moment of every day.  But it isn’t where we would usually look for it.  It doesn’t reside within us.  There is a divine power that is graciously given to us by God.  And it is available to all of those who are in Christ.  Because it is only for those who are housing God’s Spirit (see Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9-11; 2 Corinthians 6:19-20).

     Sin and fear blind our minds from being able to see and appreciate the sheer power afforded us by the Holy Spirit: sin, because we have been distracted from focusing on our true goal - Jesus (Hebrews 12:3); and fear, because we don’t fully understand or appreciate God’s forgiveness nor His desire to surround us with His constant presence.  But for those who are being transformed into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18), getting rid of our sin and overcoming fear by faith, we have at our disposal an abundant power to do extraordinary things (see Philippians 4:13).

     Our problem is in understanding what the source of this great power is.  When we think that it is something we have to accomplish and provide, we fail.  However, when we acknowledge that our ability to do anything in life comes only by the grace of God and any good thing we are able to accomplish comes through His Spirit motivating us, then we have enormous power to succeed beyond all expectations. 

     This is why we are to do all things to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).  He ensures our success especially when we are hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).  Our success at anything in life is only possible when He is the source of our strength.

Doug