Power Within

Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

“Why is the the sea salty?”

This was the last question in my last elementary district science quiz bee. If I get this correctly, I will win. But I did not know the right answer. So I guessed, I wrote – because of the sun. I thought because the seas are exposed to the heat of the sun that it became salty just like the human skin’s perspiration. I was wrong. Someone got it right and he won. The right answer to the question? – because of the mineral deposits within.  What makes the sea salty is what is within it. What is deposited within the sea allows it to taste that way. Every living thing or non-living thing inside the sea makes contributions as to why it tastes salty.  It is not about what is external to it; it is about what is internal in it.

And so with us.

The Ephesians read and learned it from Paul – the power at work within us. What makes us holy is not our externalities, it is him who is within us who makes us holy. What gives us strength is the power deposited in us and not what we perceived we know in our minds or what we can do by ourselves. And Paul does not set a limit. He describes, Jesus is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine. Ask Jesus about what he can or will do for you – he is able to do far more than that. Imagine Jesus doing this and that for you – he is able beyond this and that. And Jesus is the power within us. He is in our hearts deposited. He is the one who makes us salty. He is the power within us who makes things impossible possible. Far more than we can ask or we can imagine.

Unlike the minerals under the sea who does not know what they are doing to make the sea as salty as possible, the power is at work within us and is at work with purpose. He aims for us to follow him by the power within us. He intends for us to love him and to love one another. He is at work within us for us to work for our less fortunate brothers and sisters. He stirs in our hearts the desire to spread his word of love and encouragement to your family, to your officemate, to your long lost friends. He lives within us for us to make things right not wrong.

We will not be defeated. We will succeed; we will be victorious by the power at work within us.