Empowered Christians

Christians are empowered. Regardless of how we feel, regardless of sins we are aware of or bad habits. Regardless of even how well we know the Bible. We are empowered.

Our empowerment comes from God himself. He gives us himself to live and dwell in us. He gives us a new powerful identity for us to take hold of and aim to live by. He gives us tools to do the work he has called us to do. Promises by which we can move forward, the truth to live by. He empowers by his example, his teaching, his sacrifice, his Holy Spirit. God is an empowerer. Therefore, we are meant to be empowerers in and through him.

This Blog is part of that. A small seed of what I hope will empower others in some way. I also hope that it will be an inspiration for you to pursue empowering others. We can get so focussed on what we want to do for God that we can easily forget that a significant part of that is being part of helping and building others up so that they are more empowered to operate more in the full life of Christ. We can begin asking less 'what can I do' and more 'what can I help others to do'.

We all have a part to play. Each part of the body enables the others parts to work well. When all work well, the body does its best. However, when even one part hurts, it affects everything else.

I bashed my toe recently on the new sofa. It stuck out a little more than the old one (the sofa not my toe!) so when I went to grab a ringing phone, BANG, two middle toes got clobbered. The bruise kept growing for about a week. I was hobbling for about a month. It can still be sensitive now and its been about 2 months. Just two tiny toes, yet it affected everything that I did. Housework, driving, walking, even limiting what I could do with the kids. A tiny thing hurt yet it affected the whole body.

Ephesians 4 is great for catching the vision of empowering. It talks beautifully of the body, unity, each part having a role which is designed to help other parts. The whole being destined for unity and maturity and developing the right attitudes to enable this to happen.

We can help each other to heal or maintain the hurt through judgement. If you haven't read it recently, take some time to do so when you have finished this. But I will, for now, draw your attention to one thing. Ephesians 4: '...talk... out of your mouths...only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen' (NIV).

So much of empowerment comes from our words. So much discouragement also comes from words. Yet Ephesians gives us a bit of a litmus test for our words. My aim is to help build others up through this Blog. Not only for subscribers but any readers. Please consider this verse when you post or comment. Never forget, you may be talking to one person, but there may be many hearers (readers) tuning in to the conversation. Lets aim always to build up. That can be offering a challenge or a healthy critique. But it can also mean receiving a healthy challenge or critique.

Be empowered, so that you can better empower. That's what it means to be an empowering Christian. Growing as best we can in Christ to then help others. Our example always being Christ, who was and is and will be the best empowerer of all time.

Enjoy the Blog, be empowered, looks for opportunities to empower. God bless.