I FEEL POWERLESS

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (II Timothy 1:7)

One of the things that I have come to understand in my many years in the ministry is that a sense of powerlessness is the root to all negative emotions. If you feel powerless to do anything about your past, you feel guilty. If you feel powerless to change your future, you feel afraid and if you feel powerless to change your present, you feel depressed. When you feel that the circumstances of your life will not change, you feel angry. In my years of counseling I have learned that depression, fear, guilt and anger are the most powerful negative emotions that people will experience in their lives, and all of them come from a sense of powerlessness.

The thought that there’s not much we can do about our finances, our circumstances, our health, etc. imprisons us to accept and tolerate a mediocre and weak life. I’ve been thinking how we generally accept that there are areas of our lives that we are powerless to control. We have no power to choose in some situations. Yet is that true? Powerlessness is the sensation of being out of control with no apparent solution to help us to regain control. Most people want to be powerful but have tolerated a powerless existence, just because they never realized how powerful they really are. Power comes from the Greek word: “dunamis”, which means ability, enablement. We need to ask God to help us to overcome that feeling of powerlessness.

We must embrace the truth that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power, love and a sound mind. This has already been done. We have the power to overcome through God’s Spirit. You have to believe that this power is in you. Ephesians 3:20 says: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”. There is power in you that permit’s God to do beyond what we can ask or think

Give God something to work with. You have to think and ask. Since he can do beyond, we have to give him a base to begin with. We limit God when we don’t think big and ask big. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you...” This power is already in you. Thank God for His Spirit in you. Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you”.  

Don’t limit God, Psalm 78:41 says that Israel limited the Lord. They limited Him, because they did not remember His power (v. 42).  We free God’s hand to bless when we remember his previous blessings. Psalm 103 says to not forget His benefits. Never underestimate the power of God. Expect today for God’s power to strengthen you; expect to be led by His Spirit today. We limit what God can do in our lives, when we lower our expectations. Embrace this power.  

Think it and say it! God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. We have power in our lives right now. Through Christ, we have the power to overcome sin; the power to change our life for the better, the power to be healed; the power to forgive; the power to praise Him no matter what; the power to speak God’s Word and see His promises fulfilled in my life. We have to think big and ask big, and therefore the power of God’s Spirit within us, will bring it to pass in our lives. God wants us to help ourselves and He will do the rest like with Joshua. You can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:3). You choose to remember what God has already done which takes the limits off of your life and your expectations. You expect favor today, wisdom, understanding, and God’s blessing!