Change
2021-04-23Isaiah 41:10 NIV
There are a million resources out there telling us what we’d need to change to make our lives perfect. There are articles, books, podcasts, self-help seminars, and countless other sources of information that are just raring to improve us. Sometimes we take their advice, and we’re enthusiastic about changing ourselves for about a week. Then the inspiration fades and everything goes back to normal.
The truth is, we have very little power to change ourselves. God has more than enough power though, and he’s willing to share it with us. The word ‘power’ occurs fifty-seven times in the New Testament. The most important instance of power is Jesus’ resurrection (see Luke 24). About that, Paul wrote: ‘ I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead’ (Philippians 3:10 NLT). He also wrote: ‘ 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 honour’ (Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT).
Both times there, Paul uses the Greek work for power, dunamis. From there we get the words ‘dynamite’, an explosive force, and ‘dynamo’, a source of constant power. In God, we’re offered both of those things. He gives us the instant, landscape-changing dynamite power to make a change in the first instance. He then sustains us with dynamic power to keep the change up for good. Deep, lasting change can only come through these types of godly power. The most amazing thing is that to see that kind of change, all we need to do is ask Him!