Super Charged
by Janna Jones
If you think the Energizer Bunny is the symbol of long-lasting power, it's time you experienced power of a different kind.
Picture this: an uptight, deadline-driven, incredibly busy man finds himself stranded on a deserted island. No clocks, no people, no deadlines -- just sand and trees and lots and lots of water. Sound familiar? It does if you saw the movie Castaway. The situation above is exactly where Tom Hanks character finds himself. As you can imagine, the days and nights that this guy spends on the island change him. By the end of the movie, he is truly a different man with a different outlook on life.
Have you ever known someone who had a life-changing experience? It probably wasn't being stranded on an island, but maybe it was something like a car accident, being cured of a disease, battling a drug addiction or even getting a scholarship to the school of their dreams. These are powerful experiences and we aren't surprised when people end up changed because of them.
Power vs. POWER Now, if I asked you to name the most powerful thing you can think of, some of you might respond with things like a tornado, a monster truck or a high-tech computer processor. But probably, most of you would say, God. My question then is this: If God is the ultimate power, do you live everyday expecting Him to change lives -- both yours and the lives of others? If He is truly more powerful than all these other things, then are you seeing the effects of His power?
Maybe. Maybe not. You see, our culture's images of power are so different from God's power, that sometimes we miss it. The Bible tells us that God, in His power, is full of grace and love. He is patient and accepting. This seems contrary to what we think of as powerful, but these characteristics are central to who God is.
Gospel Power Think for a minute of someone you know who doesn't believe in God. It may be a friend, a co-worker or a family member. Or maybe you're on a summer mission trip and there are people all around you who don't know God, and you are supposed to be reaching out to them. If you're like me, sharing Christ with these people is a little intimidating. You don't feel like you have what it takes to change their lives. Well, guess what? YOU DONT! But, God's Word does. And although an illness or a great success can change a person's life here on earth, nothing but the gospel can change a persons life for eternity. Now that is power!
Check out Romans 1:16. It says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes . . ." Not only is God powerful, but He wants to use His power to give people forgiveness of sins and eternal life, forever.
Weakness is Power That's great, you're thinking, but I still feel like I'm not up to the task of being used by God to change lives. That's OK. Because, again unlike our culture, we don't have to be powerful ourselves for God to use us. In fact, the weaker you are, the better.
Check out 1 Corinthians 12:9. It says that Gods power is made perfect in our weakness. What? How can that be? Basically, it comes down to this: when we are relying on ourselves for power, no matter how successful we are, we can never even come close to matching Gods power. It is actually when we are empty and allow Gods power to flow through us that we tap into a power source way huger than we can imagine.
Power Charge So maybe the reason we see the power of nature, money, popularity, and brains more often than we see the power of God, is that we aren't looking or we're looking for the wrong things. When you wake up tomorrow morning, take a minute to think about how God might work that day. Think about whose life He might want to use you to change. Say a prayer and ask God to help you to rely on Him and His power, rather than relying on yourself. When you feel weak and unable to do what you know you need to, remember where your power is coming from. Then, get ready to see Him work. It may not be in the way you expect, but the more you pay attention, the more you'll see that He is working all around you, in you and through you.
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