Not Enough Power

During the 70’s Dave and I were moving from New Mexico back to our home in Arizona. We had everything we owned in a U-Haul truck which Dave was driving. I was in the car with our four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son.

What a long and boring stretch of road. Unknown to us, U-Haul had placed a governor on the engine. Dave’s top speed was 60 mph. Anytime he got behind someone and needed to pass he was unable to accelerate. I cannot begin to tell you how frustrated he was when we arrived at our destination.

My Christian life was like that for years. No power to accelerate!

…I lived with the motto “just struggle by as best you can and when you get to heaven it will all be worth it”. I was a frustrated Christian.

I knew I was a child of God; I knew I was part of the church. But without knowing that God had given me His righteousness, made me a joint-heir with Christ and had placed the power of the Holy Spirit to dwell within me I was just “an old chunk of coal” hoping to someday become a diamond.

Jesus lived a life filled with power and He gave that same power to His disciples.

While Jesus was here on earth the disciples experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit being with them. Before He left this earth, Jesus gave His disciples a command to go and wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. There the Holy Spirit would fill them with power. 

      “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever. The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you.” John 16:16-17 ERV

      “And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” Acts 2:4 NLV

The Holy Spirit went from being with the disciples to living in them.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NLT

The Holy Spirit came and filled the disciples with power. The “spiritual” governor on their engine had been removed!

The Holy Spirit desires to fill our lives with the same power that He gave those believers in Jerusalem. He will live in us and strengthen us. When He empowers us our lives change. The “governor” of fear and doubt is removed and we are free to experience the victory that is ours in Christ.