Power in Weakness

Thinking about power

    Power. That word’s been jumping out at me every time I open my Bible lately. Paul wants to know the power of Christ’s resurrection (Philippians 3:10). What does that mean? I realize it took God’s power to raise Jesus from the dead, but how does that translate into my average, everyday life?

    God’s power is often displayed against Israel’s physical enemies in the Old Testament (Exodus 15:16, 2 Chronicles 20:6 and 32:7, Psalm 20:6-8). Doesn’t really fit with my American lifestyle. Not too many physical enemies for me to fight today.

    The New Testament refers to the power of God and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8, Romans 1:16 and 20, 1 Corinthians 2:4 and 6:14), but it also emphasizes the importance of meekness and kindness and gentleness (Matthew 5:5 and 11:28-29, Galatians 5:22-23). What does meek, kind, gentle power look like?

    Paul advises the Thessalonians to “make it your ambition to lead a quite life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Doesn’t take much power to do that, does it? (And does it really require any ambition? To my American mind, it sounds more like something those lacking ambition would do.)

    The evangelically correct love William Carey’s slogan, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” Aren’t we all supposed to be out there doing great things, as opposed to leading the quite life that Paul recommends? Isn’t that where the power comes in?

Paul's prayer for power

    As all this is simmering in my brain, I come across Colossians chapter one. Paul says that he and Timothy have been praying that his readers will be “strengthened with all power according to [God’s] glorious might so that . . .” (verse 11). I want Paul to say, “so that you can perform miracles, move mountains, and do awe-inspiring deeds in his name.” That’s the kind of power I want to experience. Power to travel around the world, burning the candle at both ends, healing the sick, adopting the homeless, preaching the good news, leading thousands to Christ.

    But instead Paul says he prays for this enormous power “so that you may have great endurance and patience.” What??? What does power have to do with patience? I recently heard a pastor interpret Proverbs 16:32, “Better a patient man than a warrior,” as meaning that patience is better than power. As if the two can’t go together. Patience is passive, while power is active, right?


    In contrast, Paul prays for God’s power to strengthen his readers by providing endurance and patience. Maybe God’s power is not just helpful but actually necessary for me to develop the endurance and patience that I so desperately need when life goes sour. At first glance, I don’t like this kind of power. I want the power that generates a sweet life, not just the ability to tolerate a bitter one.

God's power in ordinary Christians

    And yet there is deep comfort in knowing that God will use “all power according to his glorious might” (that’s a lot of power!) for something as simple but difficult as developing endurance and patience. The reality is that most of us are never likely to perform the signs and wonders that Jesus and the apostles did to confirm the source of their message. God calls some few to serve as evangelists to large crowds, to preach in megachurches, to write bestsellers on how to live the Christian life.

    But for every big-name, well-recognized follower of Christ in a powerful position there are thousands of ordinary, everyday Christians living quiet lives, minding their own business, working with their hands, doing the not-to-be-despised “small things” of Zechariah 4:10. They are just as important to God’s plan for the salvation of souls as those who are judged by human standards to be accomplishing great things. God can be working as mightily in them as in those who the world sees as exercising enormous power.

    Maybe this is a concrete example of how His power can be made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). I’m bombarded daily by the media with the reminder that many Americans are lacking the patience and endurance that it takes to listen to an opposing point of view. What a witness it could be to our neighbors if we, as Christians, prayed with Paul for God’s power to be manifested in us through the internal resources of endurance and patience, rather than assuming that the only way they’ll see His power is in great external works.