We live in a society that exalts the self-made individual and promotes being self-sufficient. In doing so, we largely remove God from the equation. So He leaves us on our own; to our own devices. We may succeed to a certain point; but eventually we will come to the end of self. Then we will examine the fruit of our life.
God wants to be our sufficiency. He wants us to tap into His capacity! He has given us endowments, the gifts of His Spirit, and He promises that if we allow Him to be our sufficiency we will be well able to tackle what comes our way as we seek to produce fruit that brings glory and honor to Him. The apostle Paul spoke a good deal about this.
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6).
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
RELEVANCE
Jesus promised the infilling of His enabling agent, the Holy Spirit. “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven” (Luke 24:49 NLT).
Paul took up the issue of walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. He discussed that God’s purpose of filling us with this gift—His treasure—the Holy Spirit, was to demonstrate that “the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us….that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:7-11).
The key is wanting it to be about “the excellence of His power” being “not of us” but Him.
REFLECT AND RELATE
The issue is about honor and glory. Who do you seek to honor and glorify?
Submit those things to God. Ask God what He might have you surrender. Give the Holy Spirit permission to be your sufficiency.
What are some ways you might be inhibiting the life and power of the Holy Spirit ?
REFERENCES
2 Corinthians 9:8-15