Adversity comes at us with financial struggles, illnesses, family divisions, and injustices. Even a few minutes of the news make us witnesses to strife, poverty, crime, and other societal ills. In the wake of these circumstances, we are left discouraged, deflated, defeated, and de-energized.
Yet, God promises us abundant life through Jesus Christ. Discover how to energize your life with God whatever life may bring to you.
Rely on His Strength
It is God who gives you the strength to handle what life lobs at you.
Throughout the Old Testament, God made it clear that His power protected and delivered the Israelites from their enemies. To introduce the Ten Commandments, God (speaking through Moses) declared, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Exodus 20:2) Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers repeatedly reinforce the sentiment. For instance:
“When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.” (Deuteronomy 20:1)
How Gideon Teaches You to Energize Your Life With GOD
A prophet named Gideon told the Israelites during their captivity by the Midianites:
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. (Judges 6:8-10)
As did Moses, Gideon reminded the Israelites that God delivered them from bondage. It was not of the Israelites’ strength.
God would use this Gideon to lead, not 32,000 or even 10,000, but a meager 300 who lapped their water as dogs. Why just 300 to battle the mighty and pestering Midianites?
“The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’” (Judges 7:2-3)
Connect to the “True Vine”
The 300 Israelites ultimately defeated the Midianites. With this small number, the Israelites learned (and so do we) that our power comes from God. His power and His alone energizes us to life. Consider these words from Jesus:
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” (John 15:4-6).
The Power Comes From the Spirit
To energize your life with God, connect with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Disciples on that Day of Pentecost did. The Spirit enabled Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, and the other ten Disciples to boldly proclaim Jesus crucified and resurrected to a crowd consisting of:
“Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs….” (Acts 2:9-11[a])
Peter exhorted the crowd to “repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” (Acts 2:38) That day, 3,000 received Christ as their Savior. (Acts 2:41)
Cultivating the ”The Fruits of the Spirit”
How does the Holy Spirit energize your life? Start with the change in your attitudes and outlook. Without the influence and power of the Spirit, rage, immorality, hatred, jealousy, bitterness, envy, and other destructive acts and thoughts control you.
These things rob you of a healthy relationship with God, family, friends, co-workers, fellow believers, and others with whom you encounter.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Glorifying God and the well-being of others dominates your motivations for action. You desire reconciliation over separation and, thus, you forgive others. You build rather than destroy. The gentleness and joy from a Spirit-filled and led life radiates the Light to the broken, lonely, and hurt.
Living in Confidence
Remember Peter and the Disciples’ boldness at Pentecost? They displayed the same confidence that the Holy Spirit gave them at Pentecost before a council of religious leaders.
When the Sanhedrin questioned Peter and John about the authority under which a person they encountered was healed, Peter responded that the crucified and risen Christ had done so. In answering the Sanhedrin, Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 4:8)
Indeed, boldness and confidence mark a life filled with God’s Spirit. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Paul declared in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
God’s Spirit gives you that confidence to proclaim His Word in all you say and do. You do not battle evil or problems alone. The Holy Spirit empowers and energizes you.
God, you energize our lives with your Holy Spirit that comforts, directs, teaches, and emboldens us for your work. May we with boldness, humility, gentleness, and love, declare your Word and the Good News in all we say, do, and think. May all see the fruits of Your Spirit and the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ in us. Amen.