Intrinsic or Extrinsic Power?

With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen. 

(Ephesians 3:20-21 ERV)

What "power" do you possess - or maybe the best question is what "power" do you exhibit in your life? Back some years ago, the concept of "super-heroes" hit the television and big screen audiences everywhere. The "super-men" and "super-women" of these shows were able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, stop supersonic aircraft with the breath from their mouth, and somehow rescue every damsel in distress. In real life, rarely do we see this type of "power", nor do we this consistent intervention "just in the nick of time" into the situations where harm is about to wreak havoc in the lives of people. In real life, the "power" we rely upon is usually either intrinsic (stemming from within us) or extrinsic (someone else doing it for us). For believers, the power is both - intrinsic and extrinsic!

Christ "indwells" us - making his power our power. That means nothing comes against us that we don't have the "intrinsic" power to deal with. It also means there is nothing "extrinsic" with any greater power! This may not seem all that significant until we truthfully evaluate just which power "source" we are tapped into most of the time. The monsoons have arrived in Arizona, so power outages will abound for some due to tripped breakers at relay stations, downed power poles, and the like. When these "interruptions" in electrical power come upon us, we "feel" it - because the hot, hot air of the desert has no way of being cooled without that power. There are no real "deterrents" to the downed poles - for the extrinsic power of the high winds will have their way no matter how carefully we think we have planned.

The truth is evident - sometimes the extrinsic powers are not easily deterred. The one thing we can do to guard against their dangers is to have the right source of power intrinsically! If Christ is our main source of power - not our own will or determined focus - we have more power internally than anything that comes against us externally (even when it is trying to get on the inside of us). I have to tell on my daughter here - for the lightening and thunder still make her want her mommy a little bit! The "anger" or "fury" of the extrinsic forces are capable of some destruction, but as long as the right "force" is at work within us, the "damage" is extremely minimal! It isn't about what is coming against us as much as who it is that indwells us.  Just sayin!

Good vs. Evil

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. (Romans 6:12-14 NLT)

Something always exerts control - it is the nature of how things work. The "control" or force of gravity exerts the pull that keeps us from flying away from the surface of the earth into the oblivion of outer space. Oxygen controls the ability for human life to continue to exist on this planet, for without the availability of oxygen we'd all die. Weaker are consumed by stronger, simply because they can have a greater "control" over the outcome of the chase. If control is the issue, then we ask the next big question - what control governs or exerts the biggest force of restraining or directing influence over our lives? 

The answer to this could be as varied as there are human beings walking the surface of this earth right now, but in general there are probably just a couple of "forces" governing our lives - truly directing us one way or another. These are often referred to as the forces of good and evil. In old movies, it was depicted by some dark force against a lighter one - the cowboy bandit with the dark hat and clothes against the one with the lighter hat and clothes. As the dark force of evil would plot against the lighter one of good, even the music would play on in some mysterious way, building until there was a crescendo of furious noise as the two would clash upon the screen. As the "force of good" made gains, the music would change to depict that all was well once again.

We don't live in a world where evil always dresses in dark colors, though. At times it isn't as easy to see what is working against us and there isn't any ominously building music to warn of impending doom! We find ourselves smack-dab in the middle of darkness sometimes without realizing we entered that place - all because evil has a manipulative way of cleverly disguising itself! The forces still exist - good and evil - but the ever changing "mask" of evil may not always make it plain to us which force is pulling for control in our lives. There are some simple things we can recognize though - every controlling influence of evil is "demanding" - it wants what it doesn't have or what it isn't about to stop pursuing.

God's goodness is a powerful "force", as well, but it is not a "forceful" thing - it is gentle, patient, and loving. It pulls, but it doesn't manipulate. It guides, but it doesn't force its way into our lives. God's goodness isn't going to demand, but it beckons. We can often tell the difference in the force which is in control in our lives by the characteristics of that force's "pull". God's grace pulls us toward peace - not chaos. It persuades us with truth, not lies. It moves upon us in order to move into us as a welcomed guest, not as a demanding and manipulative one. We might do well to consider the "force" at work in our lives in terms of the influence it is exerting - for God's influence is first of all kind, gentle, and restorative. Evil's influence demands its own way, takes away rather than restores or builds up, and takes what it wants instead of waiting to be invited in. Just sayin!

What force awakens?

What is your controlling force?  With all the hype of the "force awakening", I wondered about what "force" may have the most influence in our lives today.  If we really stop to think about it, there is some type of "force" which motivates us each and everyday.  Sometimes it is the desire to accomplish some huge task which has been kind of left undone in our lives for way too long - like cleaning out our closet or those kitchen cabinets.  At other times, it is something more personal and kind of close to our heart - like seeing the fulfillment of a life-long dream.  A force is merely the physical power or strength possessed by a person to accomplish something.  If we stop long enough to consider what "force" is "awake" in us today, we might just determine the "force" is one of our own making and not quite what God intends for our lives - because love for Jesus is to be the dominant "force" in our lives!

You see, the controlling force in our lives is the love of the Anointed One. And our confession is this: One died for all; therefore, all have died. He died for us so that we will all live, not for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose from the dead. Because of all that God has done, we now have a new perspective. We used to show regard for people based on worldly standards and interests. No longer. We used to think of the Anointed the same way. No longer. Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone—and see—a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:14-17 VOICE)

We don't live for ourselves any longer - so if we are not being controlled by the "force" of Jesus' love within, we might need to have a readjustment!  If you think of a force as that which gives momentum to the object under the control of that force, it becomes pretty apparent why we want the love of God to be the "force" by which we are propelled!  In fact, any other "momentum" is just going to propel us in some direction, but it may not be the direction we ultimately want to be going.  A good thing to remember about the "force" of God's love within is that it isn't going to coerce us to follow it.  God's love is compelling, but it isn't manipulative or given to coercion. His love is put out there and then he waits to see if we will move toward it, embrace it as it embraces us, and then allow that love to become the dominant "motivator" in our lives.

The "force" which actually brings change into the lives of all who put their trust in it is really not a "force", but a relationship.  We don't enter into some "mythical" place of super-human power when we come into relationship with Jesus, but rather a "super-human power" invades every aspect of our mind, emotions, and spirit.  We find a new motivation for living which is not something from within, but is influencing our thoughts, responses, and our connection with others and God himself.  A force "awakened" within is likely to be something we yield to, is it not?  We find that thing stirring within us and we begin to think upon it more and more until it kind of pulls us into another "dimension" of living.  If that "force" is God's Spirit and his never-ending love, we are likely to be pulled into a dimension of living which is quite rewarding!

If we are to truly understand the "force" at work within each of God's children, we must begin to look at life from a new perspective - not our own, but God's.  He sees things a whole lot differently than we do most of the time.  We are limited by what we have seen in our past, what we behold at the present moment, and even what we can imagine for the future.  His "force" within isn't "subject" to those limitations, although we often hold back that force within because we are unwilling to be unleashed from that "finite" perspective.  As I have often said about our past, it is the one thing which seems to be the anchoring force we all hold onto on occasion - not willing to let it truly go.  The past can be the dominating force for many of us, awakening time and time again, until we somehow pay more attention to it than the present, and even to the exclusion of any hope for the future.

The force we listen to and allow to be awakened within us will eventually produce the "outcome" that force is capable of producing.  If that force is God's love, we are more likely to be urged out of the past and into the present, with an appreciation for the newness of life God has provided in the present.  Remember this - whatever force we allow to be awakened will eventually become the object of our attention. The force we make the object of our attention will eventually become the motivating force by which we allow every subsequent action to form.  If that force is God's love, the actions are sure to be trustworthy, for our good, and for the good of others.  If that force is some hold we make with the past sins of our lives, the actions produced will closely mimic the limits of those actions and the outcomes produced will leave us disappointed.

What force awakens in you today?  Is it the one true "force" which can give you clear perspective and drive the change within which will produce the outcomes which clearly show God's love is alive and well within you?  If not, perhaps today is the day for a change of "force"!  Just sayin!

Bountiful beauty beheld

Crush:  To press or squeeze with a force that destroys or deforms; to force out by pressing; to break.  Sometimes people don't see my fascination in the study of words, but when we take a little time to explore the various meanings of a word, we often begin to ponder things we might have missed before.  This is especially true when it comes to understanding the Word of God.  The "words" God chose to share with us in the pages of our Bible are not by chance - they are selected for their meaning.  Therefore, getting the most out of the Word of God often requires us to be open to considering the meaning of the words chosen to express a certain matter of thought or instruction.

A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed? (Proverbs 18:14 MSG)

I have some friends who have been through tremendous pressures this past year, and others who are beginning this year with some of the most terrifying decisions they will have to make in their lifetime.  Some have known the birth of a child diagnosed with the growth of tumors in their tiny bodies even before they were birthed from the womb.  Others have faced the all to fatiguing venture into chemo and radiation treatments.  Still others are facing the life-altering decision of changing a child's entire life with one surgery - the surgery changing not only the crippling debility of life-threatening conditions, but presenting the probability of permanent disability as a result.  Catastrophic events - painful decisions - still more painful courses ahead.  Yet, in it all, one of the things I have seen in each of these individuals is the "extracting" of something from deep within.  They have been transformed by the events - not just in a physical sense, but in a deeply spiritual sense, as well.

Some of us think of a crushed spirit as that which cannot bear up under the weight of the pressures exerted upon it.  I beg to differ - for in the crushing process something is extracted.  I know the passage really speaks to the idea of keeping your spirit healthy - so you stand strong and face adversity well.  Yet, in the moments of crushing, there is something which was once hidden from view which comes out into the open.  Some call this hope or even faith.  Regardless of what you call it, the crushing process is what caused it to rise to the surface.  I don't think God gives us a load which will completely crush us - pulverizing us, destroying us completely.  I do believe he allows some times of "crushing" in order to extract from us what he knows is deep within.

The spirit of man is a resilient thing - made to connect directly to the Spirit of God.  There is a dynamic effect of connecting man's spirit with that of the divine Creator God's.  In fact, when the connection is made, the pressures we are faced with have a way of strengthening this connection.  Don't get me wrong - the tremendous physical adversities, emotional turmoil, and intensity of making the right decisions these individual have faced and are continuing to face is real.  We cannot trivialize the crushing weight of the disease which impacts their bodies.  Yet, in the midst of the crushing weight of their disease, there remains one thing the enemy of their soul did not count on - faith!  He banked on the weight to crush even the most fragile faith - but God counted on the crushing to extract that faith - bringing it to the surface for all to behold!  When something is extracted, it is pulled or drawn out to the surface.  There is an effort required - but in the pressure exerted - the bounty is beheld.

I do not know the battles you face today, but I do know with a certainty - God's in the midst of the battle and he is allowing just enough pressure to be exerted which will manifest what is hidden deep within.  The pressure is real - it shall not utterly crush you - but it shall reveal the depth of your faith, the intensity of your love, and the intimacy of your connection with the Creator of all things.  My heart is with you today, dear friends.  As you "bear up" under the crushing forces you walk under today, I am praying for the beauty of his grace to be so evident in your lives.  Just prayin!

Opposing Strength - You Got It?

Pressure:  The exertion of force upon a surface by something in contact with it.  

I had never really stopped to consider this definition, but I saw something this morning which I really did not realize.  Look at the definition again - pressure is the exertion of a "force" upon nothing more than the "surface".  When we use the term, "I am under a lot of pressure right now", we are simply saying, "There are a whole lot of EXTERNAL influences in CONTACT with my life right now".  Something, or someone, comes into CONTACT with our lives - but they are not "invading" our inner life - their contact is on the surface!   This may not earth-shattering to some, but I think if we really begin to latch onto this, we may just see how much control we have over what actually can affect us on the "inside".

If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.  (Proverbs 24:10 NLT)

First of all, what we allow into "contact" with our lives will exert some kind of force.  Even air exerts some kind of "force" upon that which it surrounds!  So, we cannot escape the fact that things bring "pressure" of some kind - we just don't escape pressure!  Try as we might, there is no way to live "pressure-free".  The important thing to keep in focus is not that we will experience pressure, but how this "force" will impact that which it comes into contact with.

Second, the "force" something exerts is only on the surface - making what we have on the interior most important.  If the right stuff is on the inside, the surface may take a little beating, but the force will not be able to breakdown the stuff on the inside.  The "force" may put something "under pressure" beyond what the surface normally withstands, but if the interior is filled with the right stuff, the "resistance" to the pressure is great.

Third, we sometimes see pressure bringing out the best.  A candy with an outer candy coating like an M&M is designed for the pressure on the outside to breakdown the surface - allowing what is on the inside to be enjoyed.  The candy coating is colorful, it makes it easier to keep our hands clean while enjoying a chocolate delight, and it makes the chocolate a little more portable.  The surface has a purpose, but it is not to "resist" force!  In the same way, we might find pressure exposing the best in us - simply because the best stuff is really exposed by the force.  If the right stuff is on the inside, even force won't be able to change that!

Going back to our passage, Solomon aptly reminds us that our "strength" is revealed under pressure.  Remember that strength is not just the ability to resist something on the surface, but to expose what is on the inside - it becomes evident that what God plans for us to reveal is his strength, not our own.  Whenever we think external forces have to be dealt with in our own strength, we are facing "pressure" with a resistance which in incapable of enduring the force.  

A "force" is any strength, power, or energy which is exerted upon the surface of something.  I can "force" you to sit down, but if your spirit is really seeing yourself as standing up, have you really been seated?  Not really - you have just given into the force, but everything in you remains rigidly resistive to the "force".  Resistance is really application of an opposite strength.  When life comes at us, demanding us to "sit down", God's strength gives us the strength to oppose the demand.  The force exerted met an opposite strength it could not match!

I wonder how much we might view pressure differently if we saw it as a means of exposing the opposite strength?  Not the opposite strength we can muster from our own reasoning or tactical expertise, but the inner strength of being in the hands of God.  When the opposite strength meets the external force, the source of the strength becomes evident.  If it is our own "mustered" strength, it will soon yield to the force!  Just sayin!