Tag: A Word for Wednesday

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The Power Grid

It was an opportunistic play, for sure. With Central Ohio temperatures maintaining in the upper 90s a couple of weeks ago, there began to emerge some electrical brownouts—pockets of limited power—some of them intentional in order to prevent a broader outage. This left thousands suffering without electrical services one day, so at our Bible study the next morning, the leader posited this timely question for us first to ponder and then to discuss: “How do you respond when you are powerless?” We approached “powerlessness” in the broader sense, of course, as in losing control of certain aspects of our life, such as our physical health, employment and income, acceptance or affection from others, or being subject to those who gain authority over us in some way.

Our natural reactions to losing control came to mind first: anger, fear, self-doubt, sadness, frustration, helplessness, weariness and humiliation. Perhaps you can add a few from your own personal experiences, for we’ve all suffered personal “power outages” in some ways and to some degree. Yet God is a transformer, and over time, He grows us up, not as stronger versions of our natural selves, but as new creations made into His own likeness and nature, and unto His higher purposes. Continuing in conversation, we shared times when “losing control”—or the illusion thereof—had worked to our own good, bringing us face to face with our own limitations and recognizing the boundless power of God. Then to our responses to powerlessness, we gratefully listed a few more: relief, rest, and confident reliance on God.

God is always in control, but He does not leave us powerless. Quite the opposite, He has lavishly and lovingly poured His power into us through the indwelling of His Spirit, not for the pursuit of our selfish desires, but that we may live effectively in and for His eternal purposes. He strengthens us with power through his Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.1 He gives us power “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that [we] may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”2 And “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”3 When we lose power, take heart! For God restores us in His.

Christ lives in us.4 He is in control.5 We live in His power.6 So let’s go.7

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.8

1 Ephesians 3:16-17
2 Ephesians 3:18-19
3 2 Peter 1:3
4 2 Corinthians 13:5
5 Philippians 3:20-21
6 Ephesians 3:21
7 Matthew 28:19
8 Ephesians 3:20-21

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Grace over Greed

Another true confession. For many years I was not particularly inclined toward helpfulness, but my wife, Peggy, was. “Let’s stay behind and help clean up,” she would say. “I don’t want to stay behind and help clean up,” I would reply, strongly preferring to protect my time. Then we’d stay behind and clean up (or whatever else “helpfulness” entailed in the moment). People don’t change people, per se, but our lives do influence others over time, and somewhere along life’s path, I’ve actually come to enjoy helping out (most of the time). If it is possible for one to receive the gift of helps through marriage, it’s happened to me.

To a crowd of thousands, Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed . . . ”1 Greed is an insatiable, selfish desire for something—having and hoarding, yet always wanting more. We think of in monetary terms, and indeed it often presents that way, but Jesus’ caution against “all kinds of greed” calls us to broaden our category for it. For me, it means being on guard against hoarding my personal time to the point of not being obedient to God or helpful to people. And I think greed can just as easily surface in other forms—leisure, power, or attention, for instance, or even spiritual gifts. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these, but Jesus says “Watch out!” lest we amass in perpetual discontentment and consume to excess, alone.

Then how does generosity spring from us who are naturally disposed to selfishness? In a word, freedom. “Freely you have received; freely give,”2 said Jesus to His disciples. We live in an inexhaustible supply God’s liberating grace. Of our monetary means, then, we give “not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”3 And we share from our spiritual gifts no less lavishly; the apostle Paul exhorts us, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”4

Peter wrote, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms . . . so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”5 Our gifts serve ultimately for His glory, and as He transforms us over time, our greed gladly gives way to His good.

Father, lead us today, that we would be good stewards of the gifts we might otherwise stockpile. Be glorified in our giving. In Christ we pray. Amen.

1 Luke 12:15
2 Matthew 10:8
3 2 Corinthians 9:7
4 Romans 12:6-8 ESV
5 1 Peter 4:10-11

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Comfort, Compassion and Care

Duane has been a friend since childhood. While our paths have diverged and converged over the years, we have always been there for each other. So when my mother passed away, Duane reached out in compassion and care. I told him that I was a “lock-down” kind of guy, that my tears flow inwardly, but seldom outwardly. Having suffered the loss of loved ones himself, he understood my situation. “Don’t be afraid to hurt,” he urged me. Duane was right: he himself had needed this advice in the past, and now he shared it with me, for I indeed feared the experience of pain.

Through the years, I’ve noticed we hold most compassion for those now incurring the kinds of trials we ourselves once suffered or still are. Personally, my compassion for people in discouraging circumstances is far greater if I have experienced them as well. My heart goes out to children who have lost a father, to adults accompanying a parent down the rugged road of cancer, and to employees who have suffered injustice in the workplace. Why? Because I’ve suffered these hurts, too.

In the mercy of God, pain breeds compassion and suffering grows care. Wrote Paul to Corinthian believers, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”1 God is spirit2, so He is able to assure us inwardly with His invisible yet knowable presence. He works through us, as well, to comfort others through outward expressions of care and support. Isn’t it amazing that God would honor us in this humble, helpful way? But He does! In fact, walking others through their difficulties helps us to heal from our own. This is a “God thing.”

So what does this mean for us? When we hurt, we can know that good will come from it. Though we would prefer not to travel the path of pain at all, we know from the past that God will use our pain to comfort someone else today or in days still to come. Then we should not underestimate the comfort we give others, for we are God’s lifeline to them, conduits of His care. Compassion is His nature, and He calls us to go and comfort others. This is what Duane did, and I am forever grateful.

Father of compassion, God of all comfort, point me to people who suffer as I have suffered, and grace me to be your vessel of comfort to them. Thank you for the humbling honor of blessing others as you, through others, have blessed me. In Christ I pray. Amen.

1 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4
2 John 4:24