God’s Word PROMISES us power:
“God has not given us a spirit of FEAR, but of POWER and of LOVE and of a sound MIND.”
II Timothy 1:7
Do the Christians you know seem empowered by God? Or are they mostly fearful, anxious, cynical, and sad? I’m not asking you to judge; rather, to assess. What about you? Do people who know you see the power of God in you? Furthermore, is the greatest power demonstrated in performing physical healings, prophesying or raising a pile of money to build a church? According to Jesus, there will be many people in hell who did these kinds of wonders and miracles in HIS name so—that can’t be it. (Matthew 7:21-23) My friend, isn’t the greatest miracle a soul turning his life over to Christ? People are drawn to Christ through His love and the empowering work of His Spirit in us!
So, what does the power of God look like in a Christian?
If we examine the life of Jesus, Paul, Peter, and other Christians in the New Testament, we don’t see power demonstrated in the way the world culture typically characterizes power. Rather, we see love, wisdom from God, servant leadership, humility, kindness, and every aspect of God’s Spirit. We see lives that are completely yielded to the Holy Spirit. And very importantly, we see no pride.
Our pride strips us of God’s power, love, and wisdom.
I can attest to this. My ego has been my greatest hindrance to becoming empowered by God. From a young age, I always wanted to shine, to impress, to be a star—all for my own glory. [Side note, when we were hippies, my mom let us all choose our own names and I still have school report cards with MY chosen name of “Little Star.”] I spent the greater part of my life trying to shine for my own glory. But God had much bigger plans—He had plans for ME to glorify HIM. This discovery sparked a spiritual awakening which has grown to epic proportions. The more I humble my heart and submit to God, the greater His power works in me. Anytime my pride surfaces, God’s power within me is diminished.
God “resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.”
(James 4:6)
God used the life of Moses to teach me this connection between humility and power. Moses left the prestige of being Pharaoh’s son, and humbled himself to lead a bunch of raggedy slaves out of Egypt. His humble spirit positioned his heart to be willing to follow God anywhere; and thus, God’s power was able to flow unchecked through him. Without God’s power, he would have never been able to command the plagues on Egypt or part the Red Sea. He would have never become the direct mouthpiece of God and free an entire nation from the most powerful king of his time. And…when Moses’ brother and sister questioned if he was Spirit led, God himself personally defended Moses!
“Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. With him [Moses] I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord.”
(Numbers 12:6, 8)
Why did God speak directly to Moses while He spoke in riddles and visions to other men of God? The Bible says,
“Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.”
(Numbers 12:3)
God gives His power to the humble.
Humility gives us cosmic empowerment—power that belongs only to God. This realization so powerfully moved my heart, it inspired a song. When we experience God’s miraculous power, we see our pride for what it is—an evil that makes us weak, fearful, unwise, selfish, and blind. We begin too long for great humility.
There is no power on earth like God’s power; it is the “Power of Humility.”
To learn more about Kimberly Faith and the mission of Faith Strong, click HERE.
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