Editor’s note: During 2022, we are focusing on the scriptures found in 2 Peter 1:3-11. These verses teach us about God’s divine nature. We pray that as we reflect on God’s nature, you will see all that He has created you to be! For the month of February, we are focusing on God’s characteristic of LOVE.
Empowered in Love
“Seek Me.” The Father beckoned me with one outstretched arm behind him as he proceeded to move forward. He looked back at me and smiled, encouraging me to come along.
God gave me this short blurb of a vision a few months ago and my first response was to crumple and childishly call out, “Wait for me! I just want to be held.” This is similar to the whines my boys give me when they want to be carried out of our Tahoe and into the house. I often fall into the trap of timidity and blindness to my own abilities in Christ but in that moment God spoke a new word to me, “EMPOWERED.”
It is out of his extravagant love that he has called me, and you, to be more than just held and comforted. In the Song of Songs the lover of our souls meets us first right where we are in our immaturity and needing his gentle affection but it doesn’t end there. Song of Songs 2:10 reads. “The one I love calls to me: Arise, my dearest. Hurry, my darling. Come away with me! I have come as you have asked to draw you to my heart and lead you out. For now is the time, my beautiful one.” My tendency is to shy away from such a calling, making excuses for why I’m incapable but that is when I am living out of my flesh and not realizing the power that is in me through Christ. This month’s focus is set out of 2 Peter 1:3-10 which calls us into his divine nature.
Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.
2 Peter 1:3.
What a treasure I hold inside me already having all that I need through Christ. He loved me too much to let me live a timid, powerless, unloving and undisciplined life. Instead, he calls me to be empowered with, as verse 8 says, “virtues (that) are already planted deep within.” Verse 9 explains that our eyes are closed when we lack these things because we don’t believe it for ourselves.
Looking back I have clear memories of people who loved me calling me to “arise” when I was blind to what was already inside of me. My husband and I used to work out together, before having our boys, and I often got frustrated with him as he gently encouraged me to jump higher while doing wall squats. I saw myself as weak and tired in those moments but I can easily see in hindsight that he believed in me and my strength. I also had a dear friend tell me once that I could go inside to work out before she arrived. The shy side of me took such offense to her suggestion to start working out by myself. I laugh now but I cried then not realizing that I was fully empowered to walk in that gym by myself and get my workout on. They saw in me what my eyes were closed to. And I can’t even count the number of times I was encouraged to pray and speak out truth by the men and women who knew that I was and am more than able.
I believe out of God’s loving kindness he is calling you and I to be fully empowered. “For God did not give you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 When I am timid, my eyes are on myself allowing fear to keep me from sharing and enjoying the love of Christ. There is freedom in experiencing his divine nature and truly believing his word. It will look different for each of us but I’m so grateful that I am called to more than timidity and instead called into his divine power. And what a blessing it is to have a community of women around me pursuing our Father in the same way.
We would like to thank D’Anna Coleman for writing this blog post.
Women's Ministry 