He lives to empower.
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote:
“I have suffered the loss of all things . . . that I may know him [Jesus] and the power of his resurrection . . . Not that I have already obtained this [resurrection] or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (ch. 3, vs. 8b, 10a, 12)
I understand the power of this message afresh today. To “know the power of his resurrection” does not merely refer to my future resurrection into heaven. It refers to the present resurrection of my soul from bondage to sin and basic human addictions- laziness, artificial community (endless, aimless internet browsing), gluttony. Jesus suffered and rose to replace these things with a relationship with himself, and so that I may thrive in productivity, genuine community, and enjoyment of beautiful food.
The Lord wants so much for me and his other children. He lives to empower us. Why does my soul so rarely comprehend this?
