Powerless.
This can ironically be one of the greatest fears for Christians in 2020.
Some of us feel powerless to help the people who are hurting most. Others of us feel powerless against a system of rules or values that is not lined up with our own.
So when I began reading Romans chapter five, it jumped out to me in a whole new way.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6
Powerless was who we were before Christ. Let that sink in. Our fear now was our reality then. The very thing that scares us most about living in 2020 is being like what we were BEFORE Christ. But, friends, He has very much changed everything. We have to seriously begin dealing with the fear of losing power because He didn't die for us to allow fear to take us out of the game.
If you know Christ personally now, you may be forgetting that we are no longer powerless against depression, loneliness, another political party, a governmental system, poverty, injustice, etc. No one can take away the power of Christ in us.
Let me repeat myself; You are not powerless.
Romans 5:16 tells us about the power that we received through Christ's death, simply put; The old rule (before Christ) says that you can sin ONE time and will be condemned without a chance. This is what living powerless looks like. Because of Christ, He can see your MANY sins and offer you a free gift of innocence (justification). No one can take your freedom in Christ away. No type of government or rules or lockdown will render you powerless even if you lose a lot of the things you hold dear.
Power doesn't mean having the upper hand, it means having Christ and His heart for humanity. Power doesn't mean that you have the control, it means that you have The Rock even if everything good is crumbling around you.
If you know Christ, powerless is what you were but it is not who you are now. So we have to have compassion for those who don't know Him yet. And, the power that you've been given is designed to fight for those who are oppressed. Use your voice, your wisdom from His word, and the calling on your life to reach people for His Name.
This is how you can understand His power. This is how you can deepen your faith. Use His power in you to do the work to reach others.
Powerless may have described you in the past before you found Jesus, so remember that powerless may also describe the very people that you are fighting against. Don't let it be so. Fight against the enemy of our souls and fight FOR all people, no matter what.
We've got work to do, but it won't be in our own strength. Praise God for that today!
With Love, Em
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