My life before Christ was nothing at all to brag about! I certainly had no "power " of any kind, in fact, upon looking back, I was actually weak (... though I never thought so back then... ). So, as you can imagine, having been made into a new creation in Christ, there are certain verses of scripture that thrill me.
" I can do all this through him who gives me strength. " - Philippians 4:13
This is one of those wonderful verses that, (... in my sometimes " over " enthusiasm... ) makes me feel as if I am able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, rescue every scared cat out of every tall tree, slay fierce dragons and solve the problem of world peace, all before finally hanging up my cape, kicking up my tired feet and calling it a day!
.... Ok, Ok, I know I am never going solve the problem of world peace, (... but I sure do know the one who will. Thank You Jesus!... ) I can't leap over tall buildings in a single bound, (... I can't even manage to leap over a toddler safety gate... ) and I have yet to come across (... much less slay.. ) any dragons. (.. unless you consider my morning encounters with my mirror before my two cups of strong coffee.. ).... And yet, there are many challenges I do face in the course of my day that require nothing short of " super hero powers! " ( ... I'm so glad I have Jesus on speed dial!... )
I am a stay at home mom with three kids, so some of these challenges are just a given, ( ...if you are a stay at home mom with no challenges, we have GOT to talk!... ) but way too often, I find myself in the midst of not just challenges, but (full blown, all out ) struggles that I have created ( ...or even worse... ) gone looking for! These are not ordinary challenges that were placed in my path by my heavenly Father, these are situations that I either took upon myself " just because I could ", or they were " good things " that I told myself needed to be done by somebody! ( ... Never mind that God never directly told me that I was that somebody!... ) After all, (... I convince myself ...) doing a good thing can never be a bad thing, right?! ..... Wrong!
Just because I can do all things through Christ, doesn't mean I should do all things! Yes, I should most definitely allow God to use me to accomplish those things that He has called me to! God's word confirms this.What I should NOT do is something that He has not called me to .... something He has, in fact, purposed for someone else to do!
" for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. "
- Philippians 2:13
....It could be that He has called Mr. Anonymous to it, but Mr. Anonymous is just a little bit harder of hearing, and a little slow to get up and going. ( ... He has yet to come to recogize his own Christ given " super powers ..." ) In my over eagerness to please God, (... He is constantly reminding me that I already have His undivided attention and love ... ) I rush ahead of poor Mr. Anonymous and get the job done. Now ( ...I congratulate myself... ) the job is done, ( ...never mind that it could have been done better by someone else. Never mind that I cheated Mr. Anonymous out of a blessing ... ) and I can rest easy! Or can I?
I come to the end of another Sunday, feeling completely spent, disheartened and ( ..dare I say it .. ) grumpy! I get home, kick off my super hero boots, hang up the " wonder woman " cape, and check in with my heavenly Father to give Him a run down of all the things I accomplished with my day. I am convinced that I have done good, and He will be pleased ....... and yet, He is not!
How could He not be pleased, I wonder?! I worked so hard! ..... It was never God's plan for me to " work" so hard that I lost my joy! It was never His plan for me to " work " in my own strength, and it was never God's plan for me to do someone else's work and steal their blessing! Though in my heart I was ' working ' out of love for my God, I was not working within His will, and I may have caused someone else to miss their calling in the process! ( ...God, forgive my arrogance and blind enthusiasm... )
..... God is so patient with me, and I am definitely a work in progress! He is teaching me to slow down and listen! These are two very important 'super hero ' qualities! ( ...Which I do not possess apart from Jesus Christ!... ) He is also teaching me that, while passion is good, blind and undisciplined passion is not only bad but could be potentially harmful!
God never calls me to a task so that I can prove to Him how good I am. ( ...Btw: Humility is also a "super hero " trait found only in Christ... ) He calls me to a task so that He can remind me ( ...and the world... ) how good He is! God does not love me more or less in accordance with the amount of "work " I put out! He loves me unconditionally, and eternally! He loved me even before I knew Him! Even in the deepest pit of my " old self ", before He ever cleaned me up He loved me! God's love is perfect and complete, ..... and all He asks from me is obedience! He calls me to the tasks, I obey, and He works through me to complete the task!
....... God alone is to be my direction and my source of power. If my direction and power comes from any other source, it will leave me feeling used up, frustrated and joyless! That was never God's plan for me! (.. or you... ) God tells me that I can do all that He has called me to, and not only can I do them, but I can do them well, with His love in my heart and a joy that will be evident to all those around me! If I am busy doing, but I have no joy in the doing, and love is clearly absent from my actions, ...... maybe God is nudging me to examine the path I am on. We will always be able to find love, joy and peace on God's path for us ..... His word promises it!
" Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:29-30
" You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. " - Isaiah 55:12
" Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. " - John 14:27
God, in His infinite wisdom, and great love for me, knew there was no way I could ever be all that I needed to be! ( ...because I am human and therefore, sinful... ) Yet, it is His deepest desire to have a relationship with me! ( ...I am His treasured possession and His love for me is complete... ) So God gave me all that I would ever need, to be all that He longs for and calls me to be! ( ...He longs for me to be His child... ) He sent His beautiful, perfect son, Jesus, to die for me while I was still separated from God the Father, by the ugliness of my sin!
" For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." - John 3:16-17
" For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. " - Ephesians 2:8-9
.... God is so good to us! Not only that, but He tells us that once we are in Christ, we are a new creation!
" Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
..... So, will Christ empower me with His strength? Yes! Can I really do all things through Christ who strengthens me? Yes! The power of Christ in us, arms those of us who are His, with Christ's own " super powers! " (... I love that! God is so good to us!... )
........ We just have to make sure we're not working a route that God has assigned to someone else!
" It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. " - Psalm 18:32
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