True Power ~ More = Less
We live in a time where more is everything. We keep striving for more, more, more and it is all just so exhausting. Praise God, as a Christian, more is less!
Easter has many, many layers. Our thoughts shift from the Baby in the manger to the Messiah, the Man Who endured the horrible cross in order to save us. So many thoughts. So much to process each and every year. We will never get to the point where we're like, "Yeah, I completely get it." Why, because every year God is working in our hearts transforming us into who He created us to be so different parts of the story will speak volumes to us depending on where we are on our journey.
One of the words God gave me at Asbury was power. At the time I felt like He was trying to teach me about His immeasurable power, but this Easter He's spoken to me about my power.
You see, Jesus, our Savior, was God but He was also human. Sometimes I forget this very important detail. In His humanity, He could have jumped ship and abandoned His Father, yet He didn't. In His humanity He could have taken care of those who falsely accused Him, He could have called down fire on those who were mocking Him, He could have called ten thousand angels to save Him, yet He didn't.
Instead our Jesus said nothing as He was being verbally battered by the religious leaders. He didn't call on the angels to save Him from the unimaginable beating of the Roman soldiers. He even asked His Father to forgive them. While He was hanging on a cruel cross, beaten, mocked, and shamed, He asked God to forgive His enemies.
How? How in the world could He have endured all He endured, and yet continued to love.
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him.
John 22:39
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”John 22:41&42
And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.John 22:44
Jesus' focus was vertical ~ His Father ~ not horizontal ~ His circumstances and people. Jesus spent time with God. I love the words "as usual" in John 22:39. Jesus made a habit of becoming less so that God could be more in His life. That surrendering gave Him the "power" to endure.
Had Jesus immersed Himself with the obvious unfairness of the whole scene, He could not have endured. Instead, His strength, His power, came from a deep, abiding relationship with God, His Father, our Father.
Jesus lived His life on earth loving others and left the results to God. He planted seeds and trusted God for the harvest. Through one of the most gruesome deaths, He kept His eyes on God to the point that He was able to ask His Father to forgive those who were brutally killing Him.
That, my friends, is true power!
God, my vision is horizontal. I am continually looking at my circumstances and seeing the hard, the unfairness in whatever I'm going through. I don't have the power to fight the enemy and I'm losing to the ugliness around me.
Lord, this horizontal focus is making me angry and bitter ~ stealing my joy. I'm so tired and weary. I tell myself that I'm fighting in Your power. In reality, I'm devising the game plan and wanting You to make it happen. It's exhausting.
Oh, Holy God, may I, as usual, seek Your face. May I get on my knees and pray "Not my will, but Yours be done". May I pray more earnestly so that I can love as You have called me ~ trusting You with the results. Lord, help me to realize that if I want more of You, there has to be less of me! God Almighty, true power comes from surrendering my all to You!
Keep writing Truth, sister.
Thank you for the prayers!
Michelle, God has dug deep wells in you and out of them flow mighty rivers of truth and insight. I’m in awe every time I read a post. Stay humble precocious girl and cling to Him so that you can continue to be used to pour out His wisdom and love❤️
Prayers for humility would be appreciated!
As the song goes……Our Wonder Working God!! Having Power in Him means complete submission in us – opposite of how the work thinks. Our God is Sovereign and All Powerful yet is is kind and fair and gives us so many chances to show Him our love and devotion. What a contrast!!
Thank you for this…I needed this reminder.💜
Thank you for the word Sovereign – I needed that reminder!