Power within?

Do we have the power within us to be all that we can be? 

Yes and no. 

As bearers of God's image, we can be infinitely more than we currently are. So this is something within us, a capacity we possess, given to us by our Creator. 

But it is only a capacity and not an ability in itself in the strict sense. Like a kite that can rise high in the wind or remain on the ground without wind. Wind must be present for the kite to function to the maximum potential it's designed for. 

Our capacity for great things must be filled (empowered) by something (someone) outside of us i.e. We can not fill this ourselves. We can only receive it. Both the power (wind) as well as our design (like a kite) is from another outside us, not from us. 

Who created us and empowers us to be all we were designed to be? Only God.

But we play a part. We must choose to receive this empowering. And when we do, we are enabled to be far more than we currently are.

As bearers of God's image, we ¹still have the capacity to be ²like Jesus - and eventually we will be, once we step into eternity in our glorified state and come into His perfect presence. Then there will be nothing to hinder the flow of His infinite love to us and through us. We will be like Him - full of love - because we will see Him as He is in all His infinite love toward us. Otherwise, without His love empowering us we are like a kite lying on the ground on a windless day.   

How we experience the power to be all we were designed to be is nuanced but important i.e. understanding the difference between our capacity and ³ability. If we get it wrong on either side of this discussion we will either miss out on all God has for us or have an over-inflated image of ourselves and think we can be our own god. One will make us think we are far greater than we are and the other, far less. 

For a further discussion on abiding in Christ click here 

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¹Because we have turned away from the Source of life, love, and all things, this capacity lies dormant within each of us until we are spiritually reborn and restored to God, the source of all things.

²to be like Jesus does not necessarily mean we will walk on water or can raise the dead (though that could happen if God chose to use us in this way) but like Jesus, we, by God's Spirit, can love God with all we are and have and love our neighbors as ourselves and say to our offenders "Father forgive them for they do not know what they do" or to God "not my will be yours be done."

³I am not saying we don't have abilities and can't accomplish many things. But compared to what we are designed to accomplish the things we do now are a fraction of what we are capable of doing and only have temporary value if they are not done to honor God and point others to Him who alone is the ultimate Source of love, life, and all things.