“No guilt in life
or fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me.” Some of us are pretty familiar
with how that song goes, and it’s a beautiful song. The words really do capture
the essence of God’s power within us, but to answer the question “What is the
power of Christ in me?” I can’t merely quote those lyrics. Though the words
hold true to those of us who have accepted Christ, I believe each of us has a
unique experience of Christ in our lives. That being said, I’ve had to put some
serious thought into this. How then has His power been manifested through my
experience of Christ in my life?
As I reflect on
the different challenges I have faced in my life, I begin to realize that those
are the very moments when God’s power was most evident. When we come face to
face with our weaknesses, the only way out is through trusting in God’s grace
and power. If I were to solely depend on my own abilities, there’s no way I
would be able to conquer my weaknesses and overcome those challenges. But as
human as we are, that’s usually our first instinct. We think we’ve got it all
together, and giving up control is usually out of the question. I can’t even
begin to tell you how many times I’ve failed at something because I tried to do
it on my own. For future reference, that’s not a good idea. On the other hand,
I can tell you that learning to trust God with your imperfections is one of the
best things you could ever do.
So what do my
imperfections have to do with the power of Christ in me? Well, if you think
about it, if we were all perfect, what would we need Jesus for? That’s the
thing. With all my flaws and weaknesses, I am nothing…I can do nothing, but
it’s through God’s power in me that I can do things far beyond my own
capabilities. Choosing to love and forgive someone regardless of how many times
they have hurt me; having the patience to deal with difficult people;
transforming feelings of bitterness and resentment to compassion; continuing to
give even when I feel like I don’t have much; going the extra mile for a friend
that’s in need; being able to take a leap of faith in the midst of uncertainty;
walking out into a village in a foreign country to gather information from a
number of families without a translator; finding the courage to share my
testimony with people I hardly know…Let’s face it, to an average human being,
doing any of that seems absolutely ridiculous, crazy even! Human nature would
say, “Who in their right mind would still choose to love someone who has hurt
them not just once, but again and again?” But you know what? This is the power
of Christ in me. So call me crazy if you want, because that’s exactly what I
am, crazy…crazy in love with a God who still chooses to love me despite all my
imperfections.
“Now to Him who is
able to do exceedingly more than we can ask or imagine according to His power
that is at work within us.” -Eph. 3:20
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