“being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;” Colossians 1:11
“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
“The Lord is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Exodus 15:2
Sparkling Advent #10: The Gift of Power (Colossians 1:11, 2 Timothy 1:7, Exodus 15:2)
I was a musical theater kid and have always loved Broadway musicals. There is a song in the Lin Manuel Miranda musical In the Heights where the cast repeatedly sings, “We are powerless, we are powerless.” The lyrics carry a double entrendre since they are in the midst of a blackout and literally have no electrical power; while at the same time, as a minority group in the United States, they feel the cultural prejudices and inequities that make them feel powerless to change their futures.
Interestingly, it is in our powerlessness that we can experience the gift of power from God. Even though we are not naturally powerful or strong, we can be through the Holy Spirit within us. Paul prays for this gift for the church at Colossae in Colossians 1:11:
“For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;” Colossians 1:11
Power for endurance
This world can be a difficult place to be a Christian. All around us the culture is trying to disprove belief in God or get us to approve sin. We can only endure in the faith if we walk in the power of God’s Spirit rather than our own striving. We are not strong enough on our own.
“being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;” Colossians 1:11
Power to fight fear, The Strength of self-control
We do not have to fear the culture around us, the negative things that happen in the world, or what might happen in the future. We have power through Jesus to hope for the future, to stand firm in the face of opposition, and to endure. The Spirit’s power enables us to love others and to exhibit self-control in the face of temptation.
“Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7
The baby and the barbell
I love the printable this time! This little guy lifting this huge barbell is so funny and cute, but it illustrates such an important point. We do not have power in and of ourselves. The only way that a baby can lift a barbell is through a trick or because someone else is behind them lifting it for them. We have the gift of power not in ourselves. We are the baby, but in our weakness, God shows His strength through us. Because it is obvious that we cannot accomplish all this on own, His power in us sparkles to the world around us!
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”
Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Action Step:
As we are in the week of Christmas, you may be feeling overwhelmed with trying to get everything done in time for the holiday festivities. Sometimes, this particular part of the season leads to feeling like time and finances are tight. We can be tempted to be short-tempered with those around us. But God’s power in us can help us to exhibit self-control and love others in tough situations. If we have difficult family situations, experience frustrations this week, or things start to go sideways, we have an opportunity to rely on God’s strength in us empowering us to continue in love, sparkling for God.
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Prayer:
Dear God, Remind us right in the middle of those “tight” temptation moments to lean into Your power instead of our own. Help us to love others and control our own tendencies to defend ourselves or demand our rights. Let Your strength sparkle in our weakness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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