Kingdom Power
1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power.
There are times when you and I simply don’t have what it takes … what it takes to be honest, to turn the other cheek, to forgive, to honour, to love. Yep, there are definitely times when we simply don’t have what it takes.
Those Christians out there, they’ll tell you … read your Bible. Great! A bunch of words. 783,137 of them to be exact. How is that ever going to help us become who we should be, become all that we could be?
You know what they say about words – words are cheap. Plenty of people say that they believe this, or that they’ll do that. How often have you been hurt or disappointed by people who say one thing, yet do another?
Yeah … mere words are cheap.
So when I hear someone say, “I believe in Jesus”, I think, “That’s great. But … anyone can say that. The question is – what do their lives say? What do their actions say?”
You know the deal, all too often their actions fall short of their words, because, well, just like us, they don’t have what it takes.
But here’s the good news. There is much more to believing in Jesus than mere words. There’s power! Power to love the unlovable. Power to change our lives to reflect the faith that we speak of with our lips. Power to follow Jesus into the dark and lonely places into which He calls us sometimes.
How do I know that? How can I say that?
For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power. (1 Corinthians 4:20)
Yeah. The kingdom of God, the reign of God in my life, the reign of God in your life, isn’t just about words. It depends on power.
And here’s some even better news. Are you ready?
… for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
In other words, if you believe in Jesus, if you’ve put your trust in Jesus, He’s already given you all the power you need to follow Him, to see His kingdom, His reign, His authority, His rule come in your life, in your actions. To see His will done here on earth through you, as it is in heaven.
It’s a slam dunk. It’s a done deal.
So don’t be afraid. Don’t wonder how you’re ever going to have what it takes, for God did not give you a spirit of cowardice, but of power and of love and of self–discipline.
That’s who you are, if you believe in Jesus.
And that’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Blessed by this devotion?
Share it with a friend!
Respond