Power

This photo was taken in Oregon near the Columbia River.  It's a power plant with a whole lot of voltage.  I chose this picture because it represents a vast amount of power that must be tapped into in order to reap the benefits that it offers.  In other words, sometimes you just gotta flip the switch.  This offers us a picture of what Christ does in the life of a Christian.  Here's how it goes:

There are two spiritual impossibilities:  It is impossible to make it to Heaven on your own (you must accept the sacrifice of Christ's death as payment for your sins to be saved) and secondly, it is impossible to go out in your own strength and live the Christian life.  The end of Colossians 1:27 tells it like this, "...Christ in you, the hope of glory."  That's what makes the difference -- Christ living in and through you.  You might ask, "Well, what does that look like in real life?  What does it look like to live a day walking with God?"

Here's what Paul said about that in Colossians 2:6:  "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness."  So, Paul is saying we can live in Christ and He in us in the same way that we received Him.

How did we receive Christ as Savior?  "For by grace you have been saved, through faith..." Ephesians 2:8.  So, living in Christ daily is accomplished by grace through faith.  This is a powerful truth (remember the power available from a power plant?  This is even greater) that can make all the difference between you as a Christian spending a lifetime "going through the motions: of trying to live a good Christian life -- or -- of serving Christ fully and reaping the joy and peace of an empowered Christian life lived in His strength.

You have two choices:  leave the switch to the "off" position following the verse in John 15, "Without Me, you can do nothing," Jesus says, and go through life lacking power.  Or, you can flip the switch to the "on" position and reap the benefits of power by claiming the promise in Philippians 4:  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  There's no in between.  The switch is either on or off.  You either let Christ empower you or you don't.  It's your choice.

Once again, you might ask, "What does that look like in real life?"  It looks like what David said in Psalm 37:4:  "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."  And also a statement made by well-known pastor, A.W. Tozer:  "As God is exalted to the right place in our lives, a thousand problems are solved all at once."

Here's what those two truths put together mean:  If we will delight ourselves in the Lord God -- then, He will be exalted to the right place in our lives and -- as scripture tells us, then, He will give you the desires of your heart, because they will have become the desires of His heart -- and then, a thousand problems are solved all at once.  It all fits together like a beautiful puzzle that produces peace and joy when it's completed.

This doesn't meant that our lives are suppose to be perfect or without sin and struggle.  Hey, we're still living on old planet earth where sin abounds, but remember, "where sin abounds, grace much more abounds" Romans 5:20.

Here's a simple way to start living in the power of Christ (who already lives in you if you are a Christian).  Just take it one day at a time -- each morning -- asking God to live through you, empowering you to live the Christian life He wants for you and to help you delight in Him.  Believe me, you'll have more joy and peace in your life -- and you'll also find the answer to what it looks like to live a day walking with God.