Power: Momentum Shift

We’ve all been watching a sports game and seen the momentum shift. One team is playing lethargically, no real energy and enthusiasm, but suddenly something happens: a great defensive play, a dunk, an interception or three point play, and the energy level shifts and explodes.

Now, the team is playing with a new strength and purpose, a new energy and confidence. They can beat anybody. They can’t be stopped. They’re suddenly on fire!

What happened? Did they call a time-out and, hiding in the huddle, all drink 5 Hour energy steroid concoctions? Did they sneak Superman into the game with no one noticing?

No, but something happened. The team is different. And not just emotionally or psychologically, they are physically different: stronger, faster, quicker, jumping higher and seemingly tireless.

They haven’t added any physical element from the outside, but a new physical element is operating inside.

It’s like this when we shift from our power to the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We don’t ingest a magic potion. We don’t change physically, yet, oh yes we do. We absolutely do.             

Our energy, our creativity, our clarity all expand to new levels.

You can have it. Jesus promised you, no, he guaranteed you could. Jesus, together with all the writers of the New Testament seemed to assume you would be living as they were: with a new power, a new life, a new you.

Francis Chan talks about having the world’s strongest man in his congregation. The man can bench press over a 1000 pounds, and his wife can bench press over 400! “How crazy would it be,” Chan chuckles, “if this huge and brawny, powered up couple had scrawny little weak kids?”

Yet this is us. We have a Heavenly Father, El Shaddai!, God Almighty, capable of creating universes with a word; we have a Savior who can heal lifetime illnesses and send evil demons shrieking in terror with a nod; and we have a Holy Spirit indwelling us who makes all this happen. And we’re muddling along with these weak, scrawny, C- lives?

We go to church, get our bulletins, sing a few hymns, hear a “talk,” then it’s back to our busy and burdened lives.

No more! Today I challenge you to call on this Power inside you. Let today be the first day of the rest of your A+ Life, filled to the point of overflowing with Power: energy, creativity and clarity.

‘“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ ³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”         Jesus at John 7:38

Of course we’re not tapping into this Power for our use and our glory. We are seeking to live the life Jesus wanted for us, the life he promised us, the life he died for us to have.

You can have it. Born Again children of God already have the Holy Spirit inside. From this day forward call on his power!

If you want a little more:

To “glorify” means “to accurately reveal.” When we talk about glorifying God, can any of us think we are doing so by muddling through life doing the best we can in this upside-down cultural wasteland: busy, burdened and burning out?

No wonder people on the outside look in and see Christians living as such and say, “No thanks. If that’s all you’ve got going for you, power-less and over-powered, I think I’ll eat, drink and be merry.”

I’ve heard there are two reasons why people sit on the outside stiff-arming Christianity: One: they have never met any Christians; Two: they have.

But with this newfound Power overflowing, with a new life brimming with energy and creativity and clarity overflowing into and onto others, what an attractive image, what a drawing to the Lord …what an accurate revealing of whom He is and what His disciples should look like.

C- puny or A+ Power?