Empowered

The Spirit of God created me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life.

-- Job 33:4

Long distance runners call it The Wall. It's the barrier of mental and physical fatigue that athletes train for years to overcome. If successful, they'll reach the finish line with power left to spare. Otherwise, they'll drop out of the race in defeat and exhaustion.

As Christ-followers, we face our own 10-foot wall each day as we try to live the way God desires. But instead of struggling to keep pace in a marathon, we battle against our natural tendencies to do what's wrong ("sin"). For example, rather than following Jesus' example of loving our neighbors, helping the disadvantaged and honoring God, we're often tempted to go back to the old "Me First" lifestyle. It's the selfish stuff we know we shouldn't do versus the ultimately world-changing things we can and should do. And as with any long-term conflict, we eventually get tired.

That's when we need more power. But not from a shot of espresso or a can or two of Red Bull.

The New Testament's Book of Romans portrays this struggle as an internal war that pits Good against Evil. And through his own energy and efforts, the Apostle Paul--the scripture's author--knew that he would certainly lose the battle. But he had a dynamic weapon that assured ultimate victory. And it's something that's available to you and me right now.

It's called the Holy Spirit, which is the personal "force" that Christ-followers receive when they ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit is literally God's power inside the Believer. And it's what enables us to do or say the things we never could before, overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and generally do the impossible. In fact, the Bible says it's the same power that raised Jesus from the dead after His crucifixion.

If you're a Christ-follower, let the Holy Spirit empower and take you the entire distance to be the person God created you to be. Be alert to our Creator's teachings and leadings, and understand that they can come from nearly anywhere. It might be a Bible passage that resonates with new meaning. Or maybe it's a spiritual truth revealed during a discussion with other believers. The Holy Spirit can also speak through a conversation you've had with a friend or stranger, or even out of odd circumstances in the workplace. You never know. But you should always be on the lookout.

Do you have all of the power you need to make it across the finish line in this marathon race called life? You can. And all you need to do is ask.