Read: Ephesians 6:10-20
Memory Verse: Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Have you ever tried to accomplish something that you quickly realized you lacked the personal capability to do? It’s frustrating! As a guy, being in any situation where you can’t just put a little extra “oomph” into it to make something happen is annoying at best and exasperating at worst. This is why I love modern tools and technology! It takes a job that I lack the strength or capability for and makes it possible.
Recently, my wife and I were trying to detail our car. It had been a while since we’d really given it a good cleaning and the toll of summer and kids had quickly added up to making things quite dirty. One place that was especially nasty was the carpet. We vacuumed out the car as best we could, but there were more than a few places where it was clear something had been spilled, dried, ground in, and hardened beyond imagination! In these moments, it’s quite easy to decide, “No more food in the car!” because you see the repercussions of that.
My wife and I went to work on those stains. We grabbed some foaming carpet cleaner spray and scrub brushes. We scrubbed, but the stains were still there. We added elbow grease, but nothing changed. We put our backs into it! Yet the years of buildup seemed to laugh in our faces as it refused to give way even an inch!
Then, I remembered! It came to memory one fateful evening as I late-night scrolled through Amazon and made an impulse purchase of something my wife no doubt gave me a side-eye for when the box came. It was time for “These might come in handy someday” to come true! In victory and pride, I marched over to our garage and grabbed the drill-attached scrub brushes I had bought who-knows-how-long-ago, grabbed a drill, and came back with the smug look of victory already smeared across my cheeky grin. It was time to win.
And win we did! Those ground in stained stood no chance again me now! I was now strong! But it wasn’t my strength. I was strong in the drill-attached scrub brush and the power of the impact driver’s might (fancy drill, lots of power, way overkill for this job). This is exactly what Paul calls us to as Christians here in our passage. When we gear up for battle, God is not looking for our strength. We have none to offer him! Instead, He calls us to tap into His strength and might. Our power is not our own, it’s God’s!
Today, as you face the battle against the world, flesh, and devil, be strong! But be strong in the Lord. Tap into His mighty strength that is freely available. Refuse to waste any time floundering in your own strength and instead claim the victory that is already won in God’s strength.
Meditation for the Day: What areas of life do you tend to rely on your own strength for instead of God’s?
Assignment: Choose one specific area that you realize you’ve been attempting to use your own for. Make a plan on how you can tap into God’s strength in that area instead. Feel free to ask trusted Christian friends for help with this!
For Fun: Take specific notice of how many times your use a tool or technology to accomplish something you could never do in your own strength. For fun, try some of those things WITHOUT that technology to see how hard it is by yourself.