Power trip?

Ephesians 1:19–20 (NASB 95)

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Explain / Examine

Surpassing greatness = Hyperballon megethos = Hyper Vastness

Power = dynameos = Explosive Physical Power

Working = energeian = Movement or Activity

Strength = ischus = Force or Ability

Might = kratos = Perfect Power

This is a continuation of Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus and the inheritance of a believer. God’s power is not just immense. It’s awe-inspiring. The vastness of His explosive physical power is far above us, a testament to His divine nature. Through the movement and forces displayed, Christ was raised from the dead and seated at the Father’s right hand. His perfect dominion of power over everything is shown through creation, the physical salvation of the Jews, and now the eternal salvation by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. And even though His power is so much higher than we are, He enables and gives access to those who believe in Him.

How do I apply this to my life?

I can live as a victor in this life! I am not a victim of my circumstances. I believe the issue is that, as a human being, my flesh is weak. An example I read was if someone gave a toddler the button to set off a nuclear bomb. How are we to live in this world with the blessings and power that have been given to us? My flesh wants to make our lives comfortable. We pray for things and blessings to make life easier. God, get out of this situation! Give me the raise. Place me in a new job. Take the pain away. And if you can’t or won’t do it for me, I’ll take care of it myself. If you don’t make my life easier, You obviously don’t care about me. We may not say these exact words, but our actions speak volumes. What if we stop, pause for a minute, and try to see where we are? We look for our red dot on the map of life that says you are here. Then, we could see the things going on around us trying to point us to the Father. The storms, the fires, and feeling like we are drowning could be opportunities to exercise our faith in the Father. We quit looking inward and start looking outward. We can display the greatest power ever known. We live a life of sacrifice because we can, through the power displayed in the greatest miracle ever performed. Power over death. The resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.

What is my response?

Father, I am a selfish, prideful man. Far too often, I am more worried about how things affect my life and do not look toward others. I would venture to say that some people disagree with that statement. But what measuring stick are they using? Is it compared to the Christ I am trying to look more like? Or they compare it to a worldly cultural standard. Looking better than the average is not hard in my mind. Living up to the Christ-filled life’s calling, power, and purpose is the goal. Not being a better man. Being a living sacrifice for my King is the goal. To die daily and pick up my cross and follow Him. To love my neighbors and build up His kingdom and not my own. Help me get there. Continue to grow me in the vast knowledge of who You are by learning about myself and others. Amen.