August 8

Empowered

When Jesus heard this, he said to [the wealthy ruler], “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  –– Luke 18:22-25

From a purely human standpoint, the Kingdom of God makes very little sense. We give our lives to a force we’ve never actually seen; we worship a God who exists in three Persons; our Savior never traveled more than 150 miles from his birthplace, and called for us to give up everything to gain His kingdom. We are called to surrender ourselves completely in order to gain access to a power source that we can then use in very powerful ways. And the more we surrender, the more power we receive. If you think about it, it’s a bit strange.

Today’s verse notes, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” We read that passage and often think it’s about money. It is but it isn’t—it’s about what’s behind the allure and grip of money. It’s about power and control, and our desire to hold onto both. Jesus wasn’t railing against wealth here as much as he was coming against the proclivity of men to idolize things other than God. I know plenty of wealthy men of God who are not enslaved by their money—they use it to advance the Kingdom. Huge difference.

Man of God, the more power we cede to God, the more empowered we become. It’s just part of the “spiritual physics” of His Kingdom: We surrender our power so we can decrease and He can increase—and then the Holy Spirit empowers us to do mighty works for Him. One of the most striking word pictures I’ve ever seen that brought Jesus’ words to life was visiting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. As you enter the front of the church, the first thing you notice is how small the door is. As we’ve discussed in a different devotional, that’s why it’s called the Door of Humility: You can’t enter the church without stooping down low. The door was altered in the Middle Ages so marauders couldn’t ride their camels (or horses) into the church to attack. They had to dismount and enter one by one on foot, making it much easier to defend against.

The analogy is clear: Just as a camel can’t pass through the eye of a needle, so must we “stoop down” to enter through the spiritual door of His Kingdom. As we submit, He commits. As we surrender, He advances. As we stop striving and relinquish control, He then has agency to do His will through us.

Satan will do everything in his power to convince you to hold onto yours. Don’t let him. As we give up control and the right to our power, we become empowered by the One who loves us beyond measure. What an incredible truth!

Father, I surrender control of my life to You. Instead, as I relinquish my power, empower me through the work of Your Holy Spirit.