#86 Power

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…" (Acts 1:8)

I've felt drawn to this verse from Acts for several years. Last Sunday it was at the heart of my preaching on Jesus' ascension. When Jesus returns to heaven, He sends His people His Spirit so that He may continue His work of proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God through us. There are no maybes in Acts 1:8. Christians will receive power, and Christians will be Jesus' witnesses. There's no room for questions; there are no other options. Christ Jesus, the Son of God, the Risen Lord, the Exalted King, promises to equip His people with His own power to enable us to carry out the great task of spreading the good news to the whole world. The same Spirit who empowered Jesus' ministry will now empower Jesus' people. Nothing is too difficult for God, and so there's nothing to fear.

I understand all of that. I really think I believe it. I can proclaim it as I did here, and I try to find to comfort in it. But, if I'm being really honest, I fail to live out those beliefs again and again. I fear a lot. And that fear keeps me from witnessing as I should. Even though I know that conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit always goes both before and with me, somehow I continue to convince myself that witnessing is all up to me. And if it really were all up to me, then I'm too weak and stupid and unworthy to do it properly. So again and again I fail to be what Jesus really wants me to be. I have the power of God inside of me, and yet I think I can't do something God gives me to do. Satan has been defeated and will be destroyed, and yet again and again I let the devil silence me and win, even though Satan is no match for the Spirit living in me. That's messed up. And I know I'm not the only Christian who struggles miserably in this way, especially in the U.S.

I know that I won't ever be perfect in this life, but I can be much, much better. I desperately want to be better. I don't know what God will do through me, but I'm sure that He can do immeasurably more than I can imagine. So I'm putting it here for anyone to read: I'm committing myself to praying that the Holy Spirit's power will annihilate my fears and to working to witness more and more with both my words and my actions. If you feel the need to pray for me, pray for that above all else. And when I pray for others, I'll try to pray the same thing.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7)

Grace and peace,
BMH