Empowered by God

True power comes from God. God’s power is unending and unchanging. It does not depend on earthly things or the opinion of others. When we rely on God’s power to strengthen us and guide our lives, we know that we can be empowered our whole lives. There are many motivational speakers who may make people feel energized for a day, but do not provide anything of lasting value. Jesus was a motivational teacher. A motivational teacher provides you energy and wisdom that will last your entire life.

There was a website that recently published a list of the “50 least powerful people in the world.” This is a list of people who once held positions of power or esteem in the world but then lost their position or the public view of them changed for the worse. The introduction to the article provides a fitting illustration for people to see the folly of chasing worldly desires. “Fame, fortune, and power in all its forms are glorified in American culture…However, power can be fleeting. Circumstances can change rapidly; fortunes can be lost overnight; and the masters of the universe today can wind up unemployable tomorrow.”

If we rely on worldly values and ideals for how we get our sense of belonging and worth, it will never be lasting. If we draw our power from God at work in our lives, our power supply will be unending and able to withstand any difficulties that come. Colossians 1:11 notes the perseverance and power that comes from being a Christian. Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.

We can be full of energy because we know that we have the wonderful free gift of salvation given to us by Jesus’ great love and sacrifice for us. The energy that we can draw on is God’s energy, an energy that is firmly placed deep within us. In the early 1900s, S.D. Gordon was a prolific author and sought after speaker. One of his quotes perfectly describes the unending joy and energy we receive from God. “Joy is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing. It is the reverse of happiness. Happiness is the result of what happens of an agreeable sort. Joy has its springs deep down inside. And that spring never runs dry, no matter what happens.”

​S.D. Gordon wrote twenty-two books in a devotional series called “Quiet Talks”. His quiet manner, simplicity, and gentle spirit led him to be well-received wherever he spoke. It is a fitting lesson that true energy does not come from being boastful or a self-promoter. It comes from a right understanding of who God is, what He has done for us, and then how that affects how we live our life. Non-Christians take notice when Christians share God’s love by seeking to uplift others. We can be the light of the world and show where true power comes from!