God's Power

2 Tim 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.

This verse hit me like a ton of bricks early on in my walk with Christ because I knew I was lacking in God's power. Later, I realized part of the reason why I didn't experience God's power, in these verses:

James 4:1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

I wanted power to fight my own sin, but not as much to please God as to feel godly. So I could be confident and comfortable about who I was. For my own pleasure. God is slowly making me comfortable and confident, but only because of what He has done for me. I am still as helpless as I ever was, on my own.

This morning I read these verses:

Eph 3:14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Experiencing Christ's love is where our fullness of life and power comes from!!! What a beautiful, perfect idea. As we grow in love for Him and recognize His love for us, which humbles us and makes us more like Him, we increase in power.