Many believers walk through life feeling spiritually exhausted and empty despite knowing that God’s Holy Spirit dwells within. Why do we struggle to access God’s strength? How can we learn to trust?
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” —Ephesians 3:20-21
Last week, during my observation of the birds, I was drawn into thinking about the resistance that builds strength in their wings. It made me wonder about the invisible force that keeps the birds aloft. And how strong wings help them fight gravity (which keeps me tethered to the earth) and guide them around obstacles.
There is power in their wings they never knew was there. They only needed to be pushed out of the nest to begin harnessing that power.
Empty
I often wonder if believers live in a vacuum. Endless social media scrolling leaves us thirsty for human interaction. Negative news reels remind us that the world is falling apart. Even in the day to day, hum-drum life, monotony can make us feel depleted. Why do we always feel so empty?
We give and give and give to those around us without ever stopping to fill our own cup. Maybe we have time to squeeze in a Bible study here and there. A quick glance at the verse for the day. But it’s never enough to feel full. To leave the table patting our bellies—thanking God for all he has given. We’re always left wanting.
Yet, the birds teach us a powerful lesson. The strength is there. Within us. But, in order to access it, we have to fall out of the nest.
Falling Fast
Falling is not fun. Have you had that dream where you’re falling, and you wake up with your heart racing like you’ve run a 100 yard sprint? Or what about when you trip and fall in real life? In front of a group of people? They look at you like you’ve grown two heads because you did what they hoped they’d never do. (Yes, it’s happened to me, too.)
Falling can be embarrassing when you are supposed to already know how to walk. No one laughs at a toddler when they fall down. At my age, I’ve had years of practice walking. But one stumble and I find myself immobile, hurt, and humiliated.
It’s the same in my spiritual life. I’ve been a believer for many years, but when I stumble in my walk with the Lord, when I fall flat on my face, no one around me tells me it’s normal. Instead of helping me up, they judge. Instead of being concerned, they laugh. Instead of guiding me toward truth, they question my faith. This is the pain no one wants to talk about.
Just like the birds, falling is a part of the process of learning to trust God. Peter understood this process all too well. Matthew 14:22-33 tells the story. One night the disciples were in a boat on the sea. They saw a man walking on the water. It was Jesus. In Peter’s excitement, he wanted to walk on the water with him. But the moment he stepped out of the boat and saw the wind, he got scared and started sinking.
Peter was bold in his decision to get out of the boat. In the middle of a storm. With waves pounding and the boat tumbling up and down. His faith may have faltered, but Jesus was there to pick him up.
Like the mama bird swooping down to catch the falling, flailing baby bird. Jesus reaches out his hand to us.
But we have to take hold of it.
The Lesson
The lesson for the birds, for Peter, for us is this—the power is available, but we have to access it. The bird has power in its wings to beat the air and make gravity its slave. Peter had the power to walk on the water if he had kept his eyes on Jesus instead of his surroundings. And we have the power of the Holy Spirit living within us to overcome the obstacles that life throws in our path.
In Ephesians 3:16, Paul prays for believers to be strengthened with power through God’s indwelling Spirit. Then, in verse 20 he tells us that this power is at work within us. The power described is an explosive power. It’s the root of our word for dynamite. It’s a power that can move mountains.
Imagine! The power that split seas and graves—the power that raised Jesus from death—dwells within us.
Yet, we walk around like deflated balloons. Dragging the ground. Why?
We’ve taken our eyes off the Savior. We’ve missed the boat altogether.
Think about that bird. Instead of flying, what if it decided to walk everywhere it went? In choosing to ignore the power waiting in its wings, the bird misses the beauty of seeing the world from the heights. It never knows the freedom of soaring on the wind.
So how does this play out in my own life? How can I live in the fullness of God’s power? How can I soar?
There is an invisible force—the power of God. I know it’s there. So why does it still feel so far away? That’s where we’ll pick up next week.