Power through powerlessness
‘I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.’ — Ephesians 1:19–20
‘The movement from power through strength to power through powerlessness is our call…’ — Henri Nouwen
I’ll be honest with you: since I became a Christian, I’ve often felt really weak.
Weak at fighting my sin.
Weak at loving people well.
Weak at sharing the gospel.
Weak in all sorts of ways.
When you’re constantly faced with your weaknesses, it’s easy to end up settling. To start believing that this is just the way things will always be.
I’ll always struggle with this specific sin.
I’ll never be able to love people the way God loves them.
This is just the way I am.
We can even start to believe that this is what God wants for us—to keep us humble, meek, and dependent on Him.
And there’s some truth in that. God wants to open our eyes to our need, to our powerlessness.
But He doesn’t call us to stay there.
As Jesus’ followers, we’re not just meant simply to believe the right things, struggle with the same sins our whole lives, and then die and finally go to somewhere better. We have been made and saved for so much more than that.
If you trust in Jesus, you are a new creation. You have been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit—the same power that filled Jesus throughout His life, sustained Him during His death, and raised him back to life.
And, because you are united to Jesus by faith, that same Spirit lives in you and fills you with power.
Power to be transformed from the inside out (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Power to kill our sin (Romans 8:13).
Power to live in freedom (Galatians 5:16).
Power to understand, obey and delight in what Jesus says (John 14:26).
Power to pray (Romans 8:26–27).
Power to see and serve those around us (Galatians 5:13–14).
Power to tell people the good news about Jesus (Acts 1:8).
Power to endure through our suffering (Romans 15:13).
Power to love radically (Romans 5:5).
Power to become like Jesus.
Unlike so many examples of power we see around us, this power isn’t selfish, greedy or violent. It doesn’t strive to build our own kingdoms at the expense of others.
This power is the kind that only God has and can give: power that enables us to live for Him and His everlasting Kingdom by carrying our crosses and dying to our old selves.
It’s the power both to recognise our powerlessness and to believe God when He says:
‘Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.’ — 2 Corinthians 12:9
I love how Henri Nouwen writes about this:
‘But insofar as we dare to be baptized in powerlessness, always moving toward the poor who do not have such power, we are plunged right into the heart of God’s endless mercy. We are free to reenter our world with the same divine power with which Jesus came, and we are able to walk in the valley of darkness and tears, unceasingly in communion with God…confidently standing under the cross of our life…It is this divine power that makes us saints—fearless—who can make all things new.’
Yes, we are weak—but God doesn’t want us to make our weakness our core identity, but rather to see it as the means by which He makes us strong.
As we keep humbly admitting our powerlessness and surrendering ourselves completely to Him, we find that we have all the power we need to live for Him and join Him in redeeming, restoring and reigning over the world.
And by living this way, our lives will amount to far more than we could ever have dreamed of. (Ephesians 3:20).
Friends, I’m praying with Paul that ‘…you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need...’ (Colossians 1:11).
Love,
Theo
