The Power Needed by the Statesman

The challenge that the Statesman always faces is a vision far greater than the resources available to achieve that vision. Hence, the Statesman always needs additional help. In this regard, we learn invaluable insights from the inspired prayer of God’s servant Paul expressed to a special group of believers:

I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great His power is to help those who believe Him. It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in heaven (Ephesians 1:19-20).

At first glance, this promise seems unbelievable because it states that our Creator is making available to His followers the same mighty power that He exercised when He raised Jesus from the dead. Let us look more closely at the promise expressed:

… to help those who believe Him.

We are reminded that this incredible power is only available to those willing to place their confidence in our Creator to perform what He promises. This promise is supported elsewhere in our Creator’s instruction manual:

The One who calls you is faithful, and He will also accomplish it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

If our Creator asks us to do something, He promises to add His dimension to it to accomplish what we never dreamed possible. It is essential that we have full confidence in Him as we take this step trusting in Him.

… that you will begin to understand.

This addresses the issue that we cannot receive this kind of power on our behalf unless we recognize the reality of this truth. This reminder was, in fact, written to the best educated group of believers in the first century. Those who received this reminder were presumably the best prepared believers of that era as Paul had conducted training daily for two years in their midst. This reminds us of the challenge we, who have become dependent on our five senses, in opening our minds to things unless we can see and touch them.

The Necessity to Believe. It is necessary that we take our Creator at His Word and confidently trust Him in His commitment to deliver:

We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; His perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what He might do to us. If we are afraid, it is for fear of what He might do to us and shows that we are not fully convinced that He really loves us (I John 4:18).

We are admonished that, as a general principle, when we recognize that there is something our Creator has promised us and we still have not received it:

Now if any of you lacks …, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:5-7).

It is essential to understand that the one who is skeptical of our Creator:

…should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:7).

Based Upon Our Confidence, We Must Ask.

We must ask. We are told:

You do not have because you do not ask (James 4:2).

But there is a second element to this failure. It is the way we ask:

You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires (James 4:3).

As a Statesman, there is only one motivation for asking: the well-being of those we serve, not for our own importance:

…so that [the people] may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:2).

It is essential that we are motivated by our Creator’s will, and that alone:

Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for (1 John 5:14-15).

I submit to you that based upon these truths, we can ask our Creator and Lord for His:

…incredibly great … power … to help those who believe Him… the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20).

And I submit to you that it is this power we need to meet the needs of our people in this complex world. Obviously, this requires that we have the kind of partnership with our Creator that we can have the confidence in Him to aggressively ask Him, knowing He will provide. Of course, this can only work if the Spirit of the Living God is within us. This relies on making sure the channel between God and us has been opened by our taking advantage of Jesus’ death for our sinful nature and His resurrection. Jesus made this clear when He said:

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

The reality is that Jesus’ crucifixion accomplished payment for our disobedience to our Creator that blocked the access channel to Him. And Jesus’ resurrection from death confirmed that He accomplished what He promised through His crucifixion. We must make sure we have taken this step in appropriating our Creator’s forgiveness as we seek His help and His power necessary to truly be His instrument in the lives we are called to serve. It is essential that we make sure the Spirit of God is within us in order to invoke His miraculous power. This unbelievable achievement is summarized:

He made the One [Jesus] who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

This is truly an undeserved gift that has forever changed my own life!

CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE STATESMAN

In what ways does my vision exceed my human ability to deliver?

Am I positive that my dream for those I am called to serve comes from our Creator?

What do I need to be able to trust God for His supernatural power so that I may deliver what my ultimate Master desires to those I serve?