Perfected Power

As believers in Christ Jesus we have the invitation to walk and live in perfected power, that is, the power of the Holy Spirit flowing in us and through us.  What would it look like if our cities were full of congregations walking in perfect power?  I believe we would truly witness the prophecy that Jesus prophesied in Matthew 5 when He said we would be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world”.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Jesus tells Paul that His (Jesus’) strength, or power, is made perfect in weakness.  Jesus was not speaking of moral weakness.  He was speaking of the weakness of relying on God and God alone as our source of life and strength.  We can call this voluntary weakness.  It’s when we, as believers, voluntarily give ourselves to the disciplines of the spirit and therefore posture ourselves in weakness.  Jesus expounds on these spiritual disciplines in Matthew 6 (fasting, prayer, study of the Word, giving, serving, preferring others, speaking blessing etc.).  

This is the mystery and the wisdom of God’s leadership.  He takes simple things (fasting, prayer, giving, etc.), some may even call foolish things, and yet produces might and power within the person who embraces them (see this principle in 1 Corinthians 1:20-28).  Let’s take the practice or discipline of prayer for example.  I’m not talking about prayer (conversation with God) on the run or a few sentences here and there.  I’m talking about real time spent talking to the Person of God in His Word.  Time that could be spent doing and producing other things.

We sit in a chair and talk to God about things that He already knows we’re going to say (Matthew 6:8).  This seems so simple and weak.  Most times everything in us wants to do something else.  Our mind races of all the other stuff we could be doing and need to get done.  Yet we know to stay the course.  We stay steady.  Even though it looks and feels weak to sit there and talk to God we know there’s more going on than meets the eye.  You see, it’s in weakness that He perfects His power in us.

This is where God makes foolish the things of this world.  He achieves more when we embrace weakness.  Our ministries and personal lives will be more effective as we embrace weakness.  We’re tempted to do more in our own strength but God says “trust Me, I will accomplish more in your life if you will do it My way.” God give us grace to embrace the unpopular path of fasting, prayer, giving and blessing with our lips.

Be blessed and ask God to help you embrace the path of weakness that you may walk in perfected power.

Wes