Faith and God's Power

Breath Prayer – Take 2-3 minutes today to pray a simple breath prayer. Get somewhere quiet and relaxing. Breathe in deeply, and then breathe out fully. As you breathe in, ask God to fill you with His presence, grace, love, peace, etc. Consider using the list of spiritual fruit in Galatians 5:22-23. As you breathe out, offer to God the things you need Him to take from you – sin, doubt, shame, anxiety, fear, etc. Pray this way for just a few minutes, trusting God to work, and then begin reading today’s Scripture.

Daily Reading  I Corinthians 2:1-5

Devotional 

If you’ve ever tried to share with a skeptic or unbeliever the reason for the hope you have in Christ, I imagine these words of the Apostle Paul resonate with you. It’s easy to speak about the good news of Jesus in your small group, or following the worship service with believing friends, or over lunch with like-minded family members. But when you try to articulate gospel to people with a worldview that prioritizes self-interest, you may find it daunting. This was true for the Apostle Paul, who announced God’s judgment on the wisdom and attitudes of fallen human beings. It left him feeling rejected, and in Corinth, he received a cold reception because of it.

Perhaps you can relate to “weakness, fear, and trembling” in sharing the gospel. After all, its message is bad news about sin before it is good news about forgiveness and freedom. So “What if I offend them? What if I’m not winsome enough? What if I can’t answer all their questions and objections?” The devil loves “what if’s” and self-focused doubt, because they both paralyze God’s people. But the antidote to this paralysis is faith. When you stop obsessing about yourself and your performance… when you stop obsessing about the response of the people you are sharing with, you will be free to rely fully on Jesus, and become just the sort of empty vessel he can use. 

According to Paul, the result is “a demonstration of the Spirit's power”. Only the Spirit of God can convict sinners and convert their hearts and minds to Christ.  First it was synagogue rulers in Corinth. Then hundreds of ordinary citizens. Soon there was a great spiritual awakening, and before the city knew what hit them, a church was planted, and Jesus was all the buzz around town. All this because Paul, though inadequate, took an obedient step of faith, allowing the Spirit to fill him and speak through him.

Does that encourage you? Or are you tempted to give up when your witness is received with skepticism? Are you learning to speak the truth with love and compassion? Are you counting more on your own ability or the power of the Spirit?