From Power Over to Power With — Murl Baker Lenten devotional for March 16, 2022

Read Philippians 3:12-14:

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Prayer: Jesus, sometimes we want to be powerful, to be in control, instead of collaborating with others to do good work through your power. Open us to the kind of power you showed in your death and resurrection.

In the reading from Philippians, the Apostle Paul describes the changes that occurred in his conversion on the road to Damascus; values changed, actions changed, life changed. Paul speaks of this as a process that is yet unfinished in his life.  

What are your goals? What do you work toward or strive for? Ask God to help what you want to align with what God wants. Ask God for co-workers that share your goals. Seek community that strengthens and sustains your efforts. When we return to God, what changes do we need to make in our lives? Who can we count on to help us make those changes?