Lack of Power…

Lack of Power…

Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ~Acts 2:3-4 NKJB

The word “power” is used 26 times in the chapter “We Agnostics” of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. While most of us think, or believe, self will is power, it is not. It is selfishness with a push. When we serve others we are walking in Power, the Power coming from Jesus Christ. We can not do that, only He can provide His power.

If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasn’t there. Our human resources, as marshaled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly.

Lack of power, that was our dilemma. we had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power? ~Alcoholics Anonymous, We Agnostics

We seem to believe that we can make things happen of our own accord, we can not. Look around the room and identify one item that did not come from the Mind of Christ. Does it exist? It does not. Everything that is, everything that ever was and everything to come – everything – is from the Power, the Mind of Christ, not human hands. Human hands were the tools used to put the pieces in place, but the concept, the design and the ultimate success of everything comes from the Power of God.

Once we realize our real eyes can see the real lies we can approach our Father, seek His goodness and He will fill us to the brim with Power, joy and Comfort through the Holy Spirit. Once we give it all away, shared to the point of completely empty our Father will happily renew our mercies everyday. Grace and mercy equal Power. Humility and servitude equal Power. Bowing before our Lord, and only our Lord, equals Power. Giving it all away equals Power. Following Jesus Christ means the opposite of what most think it means. Sacrifice, service and humility are the source of His Power.

The Old Testament is the story of men and women who believed that God told them what to do and what to say in national affairs and personal dealings. In the New Testament a full relationship to God is described by saying that ‘we receive the Holy Spirit’. If that phrase is vague to us, it was not vague to the writers of the New Testament. To those first Christians that gift clearly meant, not only the purifying and strengthening power of God within them, but his directing voice as well. ~When Man Listens

We lack the power needed, but it is available to to us, all the Power necessary to defeat all our fears, all our giants and our shame. Believe, follow and receive.

Either the Scripture is the divine Word of God teaching us how to live and how to be a reflection of Him, or it’s nothing more than a historical account of events.