Releasing the power within you

“God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.” Philippians 2:13 CEV

The engine in your car is its power source, and it’s activated when you put the car in gear. Only then do you have the momentum you need to get where you need to go. One of the dangers in seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit is that you can reduce it to an “experience” rather than “putting it in gear” to accomplish great things for God. In the New Testament when someone was filled with the Holy Spirit—things happened. People turned to Christ. Healings took place. On one occasion, they had a book burning in the town square (see Acts 19:19). They didn’t just celebrate in church—they took it to the streets! In scripture, the first picture we have of God is of Him in His creative role. He creates us in His image, breathes life into us, then tells us, “Go out and become productive” (see Genesis 1:28). If you’re praying for someone with all the answers to come along and change your circumstances, it won’t happen. You’re not a helpless bystander. What God has placed inside you will change what’s outside you—provided you put it to work! What’s within you is greater than the trouble you have been through, the situation you’re in, or the obstacles that lie in your path. When everything around you is saying no and something within you is saying yes, that’s “God…working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.” The “willing” is your part; the “able” is His part. When you get those two things working in sync, your life will change.

Bible in a year: Luke 5:17-39 and Psalm 31-32