IS STRENGTH WHAT WE NEED?
Is Strength What We Really Need?
Most Christians oftentimes find themselves agreeing to the idea that strength is something that they pray for often. Various forms of strength, like strength to resist temptation to sin, strength to make it through the day, and strength to add new followers of the church can be good things to pray for, however, we tend to ask amiss, as we are not really seeking the strength that we say or feel that we are asking for. According to James 4:3, it is written that as Christians, we might “Ask and not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Even if we think that our prayers do not have selfish motives, what selfish motives might these prayers subconsciously be fueled by? To put it simply, we’re able to tell other people about Christ already. We just tend to ask for extra strength to make it easier. This mindset traps us in our comfort zone, especially when we don’t think we’ve been strengthened, which can be spiritually destructive. When in our comfort zone, idleness and ignorance run rampant in our spiritual lives to give us all the excuses we need to neglect the Great Commission and disregard others’ salvation.
When given the chance to spread the Gospel, countless thoughts run through our minds to stop us and get us back into the safety of our comfort through idleness. What are they going to think of me? How will this affect my relationship with this person? What if I’m not qualified enough? What if I misrepresent Christ and I lower the chances of them coming to Church? All of these questions are understandable to ask, but as long as we live a life dedicated to Christ and we follow His commands, we should have no issue in at least letting someone know who Christ is. Paul writes in Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” God conquered even death so that we may have a more abundant life (John 10:10). With God as the ruler of our lives, we should understand that He is too important to not mention to someone. With God as the ruler of our lives, we cannot sit idle and not let someone know about their Creator who has changed our lives and could change theirs. With God, we are capable of spreading the Word. “With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26).
Having no longer been bound by idleness driven by insecurity, one main barrier still tends to hold people back: ignorance. Many Christians today are ignorant of the urgency of their call to spread the Word. According to Matthew 24:36, Jesus says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Knowing that people around the world pass away day by day, and everyone is in need of knowing Jesus, we who have the knowledge to share should, without regard to how little or how much we know, should wholeheartedly spread the Gospel. Urgency drives the body to work. Just like how people in dangerous car crashes gain the strength to lift cars off of injured people when lives are at stake, we can gain the spiritual strength to spread the Gospel if we remember that souls are at stake. To combat the trap of staying in a comfort zone, ask God for understanding and urgency. If we remember what’s at stake on this side of eternity, we will have the strength to bring more people to know who God is and how they can be saved
~ Caden Conley