Empowerment
...by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
~ Romans 15:19 (NIV)
The gospel works to change this world by leading people to experience God’s glory. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God constantly works around us and in our workplaces to advance his kingdom. God also empowers his people with particular gifts and abilities that strengthen believers in their calling. This empowerment is not necessarily a reflection of a person’s spiritual maturity or holiness as much as it is a gracious sign and pointer to the glory that is to come with Christ’s return.
Believers experience God’s empowerment so that they might be encouraged to press forward in the calling that he has given. The Holy Spirit empowers people to persevere in difficulty and provides all that is needed to be faithful in our workplaces. We have not been left to ourselves at work, but we have been “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
God’s power is not something we can earn or conjure up on our own, but it is available freely and daily to those who are in Christ. Further, the Spirit’s power is not given primarily for the sake of the individual from whom it emerges. God empowers us so that we may taste his glory and goodness, and so that others may as well. Whenever we mistake God’s power for our own ability, we can become a hindrance to God’s gracious work.
We often face moments in our work when we feel overwhelmed and inadequate. In moments of anxiety and stress, we can either turn to ourselves or to others to find some reason to press forward. Yet when we turn exclusively to these places, we forfeit the grace that can truly empower us. God has given us his Spirit so that we can endure the trials and challenges set before us—both big and small. God manifests his power in many ways. We may feel strength and encouragement in our hearts, or we may feel energized in our bodies and find that we have more stamina to complete our work. This doesn’t mean that God gives us everything we want or ask for. Rather, it means he is faithful to give us whatever we need, when we need it.
In what ways do you feel overwhelmed or inadequate in your work? What might it look like for you to consciously and constantly rely on God’s strength throughout your workday?
Dear Heavenly Father, in the mighty name of Jesus, Your Son, I pray that You empower me to be a bold participant, rather than a timid saint in waiting, in the difficult ordinariness of now; to exercise the authority of honesty, rather than to defer to power, or deceive to get it; to influence someone for justice, rather than impress anyone for gain; and, by grace, to find treasures of joy, of friendship, of peace hidden in the fields of the daily you give me to plow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.In Jesus,
Chaplain Kenny
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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Devotion taken from NIV Faith & Work Bible.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, God constantly works around us and in our workplaces to advance his kingdom.
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