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We are living in an electronically-monitored world. There are great technological advancements. Education at schools, colleges, hospitals, offices are highly dependent on electronics. But how do these electronic gadgets source their energy? These gadgets also need to be charged regularly. They are charged using electricity or power banks (which are also charged). Unless our electronic devices are not charged internally they wouldn’t be able to provide service. It is the internal energy that keeps the device going.
This understanding opened my eyes to understand God’s call to serve in Bokaro Steel City after I finished my M.Div. from SABC, and also M. Phil (M.Th) from SAIACS. For a while, I felt weak and incompetent to work here. However, the Spirit enabled me to pray and seek for God’s strength. Paul prayed for the Ephesians’ church to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in you their inner being(δυνάμει κραταιω θῆναιδιὰ τοῦπνεύματος αὐτοῦ) so that they will understand the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge ( Ephesians 3:14-19). Till date this has been my daily prayer.
To be used by God, all of us need to have His strength in us. We need to be strengthened with power to see what God has willed for our lives, to stand firm for Christ and to serve Him.
Often, the challenges that are surrounded us such as health issues and intellectual demands will attack on us to distract our vision to focus on God. External stresses play a toll on our minds. Unless we have the strength of God working in us and the spiritual eyes to discern, we will feel hopeless. We have to constantly remind ourselves to depend on God to strengthen us like Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 5:7; Eph. 1:18; 3:16). The Spirit enables us to see God’s plans for us are secured despite our shortcomings and weaknesses for He is at work in us.
The world we live in is constantly changing. It calls for new looks, new brands and new everything. People follow the trend and hop from one store to the next. It leads a person most of the time to be instable. To be stable one must be rooted and grounded in one place. Although being novel is creative one needs to have stability. This stability is found only in Jesus Christ. When our hearts are richly filled with the word of God (Matt. 7:24; Col. 3:16) and his Spirit (Eph. 5:18), we begin to have a stable relationship with God. We become rooted in the love of Christ. Our lives become a testimony to our families, friends and colleagues.The world will be amazed at our firmness in Christ for it is the work of God.
We are created by God with a plan and purpose to glorify His name. When it comes to serving God, I consider it a privilege. God desires that we proclaim His goodness, greatness of Him to the lost (1 Peter 2:9). The measure of God’s fullness of love, compassion, mercies, grace and has been revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ who died on the cross and resurrected from the death (John1:18). All of us, who know Christ personally, are responsible to proclaim the message of the salvation. Those of us, who are equipped with the systematic study of the Word, have a greater responsibility to serve Him joyfully. Before the disciples went to proclaim the gospel, Jesus commanded them to wait until they received the power from above (Acts 1:8). Even today, we need the Holy Spirit working in us. Then we will flee from temptations, be filled with the knowledge of His Word, spiritual gifts and have wisdom to endure persecutions. Let us pray that we realize the need for this and seek God’s help to strengthen our inner beings to be trustworthy and faithful servants of Christ.
As given by God an opportunity to be theologically trained in the Scriptures and proclaim His message of the salvation to the lost, let us depend on the power of the Spirit of God without undermining it. Depend on Him for His strength to help us to have the vision of Him to discern the challenges, to stand firm for Him and also serve Him faithfully in spite of all our external ever changing challenges.
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