Willpower! Where are you? I need you, stat!
Dispatcher: 911. What’s your emergency?
Me: I’ve been cutting back on dairy and gluten and the waitress at this breakfast place just asked if I would like a side of gravy. And I would. I really, really would.
Dispatcher: Ma’am, this is not a real emergen—
Me: It’s white gravy and I will have a stomachache for three days!
Dispatcher (sighing): I think you can power through it. How about you ask for some salsa for your eggs instead?
Me: ::guzzles gravy::
I’ve noticed something interesting about myself. Sometimes I’m less about finding the willpower and powering through, and much more about powering up with the high drama. Powering way, way up.
Shouldn’t willpower have a switch I can flip? Or maybe a button? Yes, a power button. A willpower button.
I’d like to think I would use that button to empower something weightier than gravy (“weightier”—not a calorie reference). But do you know what’s amazing? I am the recipient of real power. Not just power, but power on power on power.
First, I’ve been gifted. “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God,” (1 Peter 4:10 CSB). Peter doesn’t say that a select few have received a gift. No, “each one” has a special gift from God. That’s me! That’s you! Have you ever thought about the fact that you were created and gifted to be an influence on this planet?
Not only have you been gifted, but second, He is the one who will empower that gift to impact lives. “For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose,” (Philippians 2:13 CSB). Our God does all the work. He works on our will, He empowers the work. Power on power.
So He gifted and equipped you, He empowers the work, and on top of that, He prepared the works. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10 CSB). He makes it all happen. And when the Creator of the universe powers up a happening, chains break and people are freed, policies change and lives are altered—entire planets must flutter and tremble with excitement at every magnificent power move of God.
The good news is that we don’t need to fret so much about powering up our own willpower. Rather, we need to plug in to the Holy Spirit power that moves peoples, policies, planets. His Spirit—there’s the power!
Lord, we glory in Your power. Open our eyes more every day to the abundant life we find as we plug into Your power to fulfill the purpose You so lovingly planned for each of us. Thank You for living in us by Your Spirit. It’s a beautiful, flutter-filled thrill to watch as You work in others by working through us. What a miracle! Thank You for empowering it. Power on power on power!
I’m going to shoot for praying this regularly. Pondering His power is faith-building in every way.
And this is small potatoes compared to all that God is power-working around the world, but, FYI, I’m going to work back up to saying no to gravy. Next time. Because as for this time, that gravy train has already left the station.
