Power for Living

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Power for Living Part 16 - Don't You Know

by Gail Rodgers
The beautifully wrapped gift sat under the Christmas tree. All the other gifts had been claimed and opened. This one just sat there. Each day someone told the woman to open it – it was hers. Each day she felt content to just know the gift was there, with her name on it. It belonged to her. But she never possessed it… she never used it… she never enjoyed it. What a waste!

Yet that is so often what we do with the gift of the Holy Spirit. We know, as Christians, that when we receive Jesus as our Savior, He gives us the Holy Spirit as our helper and our comforter. But many Christians never really claim this gift. They seem content to just know it’s there, with their name on it.
1 Corinthians 2:12 tells us:

“We have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2:12

1 Corinthians 3:16 asks us:

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

And still more. Listen…

“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power!” 1 Cor.4:20

When we live our lives out in powerless Christianity, feeling defeated and overwhelmed, we need to ask ourselves again, “Don’t I know that I am God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in me… that I have received the spirit that is from God and not from the world so that I may understand what God has given me? Help me Lord to truly understand that being a part of your kingdom means more than just talk but it means power… power for living!”
Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you up to overflowing. Don’t be afraid of doing this. God made you to be exactly the unique you that you are! He can be trusted to come in power in your individual life! He will not make you into someone you are not! He will bring you understanding so that you may live in His power in all your circumstances!
Don’t you know, oh Christian, that the Spirit of the Living God lives in you! Invite Him to work freely and bring His power! Don’t settle for anything less!