Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
As I sit here today I am taken back to a time when I was younger and full of energy. I felt like I could accomplish anything. I could do what ever I set my mind to. I was a determined little girl and since I was the baby of the family, I got my way quite often. I wanted to play baseball with the boys and play on the school team, but that wasn't allowed for a girl. I went for walks in the row of trees in the farmers field behind us, and I never was afraid of running across a wild animal. I never worried about getting poison ivy, which I did along with my best friend Patty. I would work the garden with my dad, play catch, chase my dog around and swing on my swing from sun up to sun down. But then there was a time when all of that seemed to stop. Instead of listening to that child like voice inside of me to have fun and play, I listened to the lies of the devil that said that I was no good, not enough, and that no one liked me. The lies of the devil invaded my feelings, my heart and the result was that my energy and power, my spunky personality seemed to vanish. I became very shy and withdrawn. Oh trust me I wanted to be that little spunky child again, but I became powerless and those lies changed me, and the thing that makes me maddest right now is that I allowed it! If only I had known better. If only I had stuck my fingers in my ears when these lies were being told, things and me would have been a lot different.
I used to be an extrovert, until I listened to the lies. I never used to hide my feelings or change who I was just to please someone else. I did not ever feel the need to kiss up to someone in order to be accepted. I was me. Why did I allow these lies to change me? To be honest here it was because I did not know the truth! What truth? Well this verse stated it very clearly, I have power! When I became a believer and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I became a powerful woman of God. Infused with the power of God through the Holy Spirit, I can do anything He asks me to do, even the seemingly impossible. They never told me that in the Catholic church of the 12 years of private school my parents sacrificed to put me through. I understood humility (their kind of humility) and shame and guilt, criminy that stuff was drilled in my head. I felt guilty if I missed church? Surely God will send me to hell for missing church, unless you were deathly sick and in the hospital. I was shamed into obedience because if I didn't obey, then I would go to hell. The threats, the guilt and the shame still haunt me today. It wasn't my parents filling my head with this junk, it was the nuns! When I look back now I realize that they were just doing what they were taught. There were a couple nuns who were loving and caring but for the most part, the nuns I came across were miserable, although to them they were being humble.
I am telling all of you right now that there is power that lives inside of you as a believer in Jesus Christ. We do not have to live our lives filled with guilt and shame and condemnation. We do not have live our lives in a pity party atmosphere. We do not have go around wearing sack cloth and ashes to have humility. We have power, and not just any power. We have the power of God! The one who created the heavens and the earth. The one who raised Jesus from the dead. That is the power we have. We are not believers so that we can sit on the sidelines and watch the game being played. We need to get off the bleachers and suit up with the armor of God and get in the game. Sure we may get tackled a few times, but we have the armor of God and the power of God inside of us. We may get knocked down, but we will bounce right back up. After all weebles wobble but they don't fall down. Sorry reliving a childhood memory. But do you get what I am saying? We have power to overcome the lies of the devil. We have power to overcome the feelings of the "poor pitiful me" attitude. We have power to stand up in the midst of a storm and say "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
I don't know about you, but I am fed up with living a weak pathetic life. I have power! I have energy! I have the Spirit of God living inside of me! I have the armor of God ready for any battle or lie of the devil. I can do exceedingly above and beyond all that God asks me to do. I am a powerful warrior in the army of God! Are you? Pitiful or powerful? You cannot do both! The choice is yours, now hopefully I remind myself of this power every day because this world seems like it's falling apart. Instead of focusing on the news and all the turmoil, focus on the power of God. Focus in what that power can do in our lives. We are powerful, spirit filled believers who can change the course of our lives for the better. Through this power we can change the people around us. Believe, all we have to do is believe in Jesus Christ and we will become powerful witnesses who can do all things. Because if God is for us, who dare be against us.
Lord, thank you for the power that you given me. Help me to tap into that power so that i can stop living a weak pathetic life. I want to be powerful, not pitiful. Remind me of that power every day so that I can be a true example of you every day, in Jesus name I pray, amen!
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