Power Under Control

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”

Our Bible verse for today: “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17 (ESV)

Our thought for today: “Power under control”

I love the definition of the phrase “power under control”: “Power under control means having significant strength, authority, or capability but choosing to direct and restrain it responsibly and with great self-discipline, rather than using it to dominate, intimidate, or cause harm. It is the essence of meekness, where power is not a sign of weakness but a testament to a disciplined will, similar to a tamed wild horse possessing immense strength that is now directed by a master.”

Hello! That should describe Christians. We have the power of God within us which provides significant strength and authority, but it must be restrained and used in a responsible self-disciplined manner, rather than using it to bully, dominate, intimidate, or cause harm.

The murder of Charlie Kirk was a tragic incident that is dominating the news right now, and which serves as a great example of the point I’m making. Charlie was a Christian who had the power of God within him to accomplish an important task, but it was power under control that was used in a responsible way to accomplish God’s intended purpose. That was what made him so effective. As James described in James 3:17 (above), Charlie’s wisdom came from above, his motives were pure, he was peaceable, gentle, open to reason, merciful, and he produced good fruit. Charlie was calm, confident, balanced, and reasonable, rather than emotional, unbalanced, and unreasonable.

Contrast that with the angry and mean-spirited voices coming from some who profess to be Christian but who are acting anything but Christlike. Some of them are calling for retaliation and retribution. Their speech is over-heated, filled with anger, distain, and even hate. That’s not power under control it is power out of control. It is possible to try to usurp the power of God for your own purposes by claiming the name of Jesus, and seeking the support of the Christian community, but then acting in a very un-Christlike manner. Also, there’s a big difference between passionate enthusiasm and over-zealous fanaticism. There are few things more harmful to the cause of Christ than an angry religious fanatic.

As Christians the power of God is available to us to accomplish His plan in His way. Charlie Kirk was an excellent example of that and I encourage the rest of us to learn from his example and then to conduct ourselves in a similar manner. It is power under control.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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