The Gun Show

Ephesians 1:19 – 21 . . . “and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”

My six-year-old son, Foster, likes to show off his muscles. He loves to stand in our living room, center-stage, and put on a “gun” show, a term he learned from his daddy, which I have yet to figure out. But, during this “gun” show, he strikes various poses, showing off his bulging six-year-old muscles from every angle, wanting us to be impressed with his superior power and might.

I think that all too often, as Christians, we think that the power within us is kind of like that little “gun” show. Yeah, sure, my boy has some impressive muscles. But he’s six, and while he may be able to clobber another six-year-old (which he would never do, I hope), he is still no match for any real villain.

But friends, we cannot even scratch the surface of the power of God. The words I type here, no matter how eloquent I may try to be, can never come close to describing God’s strength, his authority, his control, His influence, His skill, His dominion . . . there is no way to describe His power, in every definition of the word. And though Paul did a pretty good job of describing that power, I still don’t think we have the capacity, in our limited human intelligence, to grasp the full concept.

But let’s try, anyway. First of all, God’s power took a dead man – and I mean dead as dead can be, murdered in front of many witnesses – and brought him back to life. That power lives within me.

God took that man – His own Son – and seated Him in the most powerful position in all of creation. That power lives within me.

God placed Jesus in the power seat – above every king, every ruler, every nation . . . His position makes our little political races look like a jr. high student council election. Jesus is the most powerful man in the world – past, present, and future.

And that power lives in me.

So I must ask myself, Why do I walk around, worrying about the future, fretting about this or that, being intimidated by the little problems that roll into my path? Jesus can make those problems disappear. Or, He can make me strong enough to get through them.

By myself, I am like a little six-year-old showing off his muscles. But praise God, I am not alone. I have the power of the Almighty God living within me.

Dear Father, Thank You for your power.

Amen