Do you ever feel powerless, at the mercy of circumstances? Sometimes I do.
But in the past couple of years I am more invigorated and empowered than ever before in my life.
Wow, it only took 66 years. Easter hit me hard this year and woke me up to two truths that can set us free.
1. The power of the resurrection is mine!
Paul said, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.”
He wasn’t talking only about popping out of the grave when Jesus returns, he was saying that we can experience in our every day life the same power that allowed Jesus to walk from the grave!
I am not helpless! Woo Hoo!
When Jesus rose from the dead, he conquered the worst of the worst, of the worst…….. death itself.
That pretty much covers anything that can happen to me today. But in order to access that power for the challenges of the day, I had to recognize and act on the second truth.
2. The responsibility of taking hold of that power is mine!
I am the one who must move closer to the Christ of the resurrection. It is my responsibility to consider His victory over death with every decision I make.
Easter was not only the opportunity to celebrate his resurrection it was an opportunity for me to commit to living each day in light of the fact that He lives.
So, in the same way, I renewed my commitment to living a healthy life style after the holidays, I also renewed my vows of faith. I am committed to living up to my responsibility for trusting Christ enough to….
- Forget what is behind
- Sacrifice to benefit others
- Risk in his name
- Love like he loved
- Live with the Joy he intended
I want that commitment to affect the way I behave as a friend, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and as a business man. I want to press on to “take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me.” that being to know the power of his resurrection in my every day life and to live Fully Alive!
I recently told a friend how bad I felt that it has taken me so long to grasp all this. “All those wasted years.” I moaned. He leaned across the table and said, “You have today, Ken!
Will you let me pass those powerful word on to you? You have today!
Have you accessed the power of Christ in your life?
Do you ever feel at the mercy of circumstances?
Whatever your story, it is welcome here.
No matter what your past has been like….. You have today!
Thank you for allowing me to share to what this Easter has done for me.
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A deeper study of this subject can be found in Ken’s book Fully Alive and the Fully Alive curriculum available for small groups.
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IN OTHER NEWS
I have recovered from the undisciplined holiday gluttony and I am back on track with healthy eating and exercising.
What a fun day!
I am training my grandchildren to compete in a triathlon and signed up to run another one myself. I think I will raise some funds to help me touch the lives of my beloved children in Compassion. I may ask you to help me.
Diane and I ran in the Nashville color run, A 5k run where the runners are splattered with color by onlookers. We looked like rainbow people at the finish line. Made for a pretty bathtub ring????
Comments
Ken – that is so very true. I jotted down a very similar thought on Sunday:
“The Irony of Ironies. He who conquered death by His death offers us life through His life!”
Amazing!
Thanks Joel! I love the Ironies!
Today! Yes. Great truth. Thank you.
love the paint spattered photo of you and your family…what a colorful group..literally!
Oh, the joy of living the resurrection of Christ! No reason to lament the past, Ken. Not only do you have today, but God wove (and is weaving) the experiences of your past, the good and bad, the peaks and valleys, into the beautiful tapestry that is your current life. Nothing is/was wasted. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
What an awesome post, Ken! Such freedom.
And I’m glad you got over the holiday gluttony. I’m back at it, too!
Great post, Ken. In my post on Wednesday I’ll talk about what McDonald’s knows about us and how they use it to control us. There’s a reason we can’t stop eating the french fries!
Your post is a great reminder for all of us and your words truly hit home. Love the color run photo, too; it’s evident it was a fun-filled day! About your concern with “wasted years” – God’s timing is perfect, correct? He puts people in the right place at the right time. So I think you are exactly where you are supposed to be in your journey. Thank you for sharing that journey with the rest of us!
As I read your post friend I was reminded that everything that goes before our new appreciations of life in Christ are all built on the foundation of every disappointment, every victory, every failure, everything we have previously experienced. I think that is what makes life in Christ such an amazing journey. Nothing is wasted by the almighty. After reading your thoughts I will join you in a fresh determination to refuse to identify myself as the sum total of past mistakes and sins but rather as the sum total of everything God has remade in me from the first day until now.