God's Gift to Us
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Forerunner, August 2005

When we hear the word power, many pictures and ideas may come to mind. We often associate power with authority or rulership, and we use phrases such as "the powers that be" and "power corrupts." This meaning of the word power invokes images of political influence, of commanding figures or elite individuals who operate by their own rules and impose their will on others. In this regard, power and control are closely linked.

We frequently have the chance to witness the "power of nature." We know that "nature" is not really a power by itself, but that the natural world, created by God, has the potential to release or display tremendous energy. Every year, North and Central America experience a hurricane season, officially from June 1 to November 30, which often provides a spectacular display of power.

In the last decade or so, hurricanes Andrew, Charley, Frances, Hugo, and Ivan perfectly exemplified the meaning of the word power, and it is a testament to God's watchfulness that more lives were not lost. Considerable loss of life and destruction of property can result from the power that God built into the earth's atmosphere.

Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm, gives us an idea of the power within a hurricane:

A mature hurricane is by far the most powerful event on earth; the combined nuclear arsenals of the United States and the former Soviet Union don't contain enough energy to keep a hurricane going for one day. A typical hurricane encompasses a million cubic miles of atmosphere and could provide all the electric power needed by the United States for three or four years. During the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, winds surpassed 200 miles an hour and people caught outside were sandblasted to death. Rescue workers found nothing but their shoes and belt buckles. So much rain can fall during a hurricane—up to five inches an hour—that the soil liquefies. Hillsides slump into valleys and birds drown in flight, unable to shield their upward-facing nostrils. . . . In 1938, a hurricane put downtown Providence, Rhode Island, under ten feet of ocean. The waves generated by that storm were so huge that they literally shook the earth; seismographs in Alaska picked up their impact five thousand miles away. (p. 102)

Dynamic Power

Of course, power does not have to be quite so dramatic or destructive. We have another saying, "If it is in his power, he will do this or that." In this sense, the word power means "ability," "capability," "the capacity to accomplish." It can also mean "talent," "skill," or "aptitude." We might tell a person, "The power to do something is in your hands," meaning he has what is necessary to accomplish or to produce that "something." People can be powerful because they make things happen. A person may be physically weak yet still be powerful due to his ability to achieve goals, control situations, and manipulate events in spite of opposition.

We talk of athletes as being powerful, not necessarily because they have the brute strength of a heavyweight boxer, but because they also have precision and finesse. Michael Jordan was not the physically strongest NBA basketball player, but he is perhaps the most powerful player in the history of the game because of his skill and effectiveness—his demonstrated capacity to play well.









A Little Strength

With this in mind, the oft-read letter to the Philadelphia church (Revelation 3:7-8) takes on a different meaning—and adds tremendous encouragement: "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, '. . . I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength [dunamis].'"

Jesus Christ tells the Philadelphians that they have only a little strength! They have a little power. They have a small, effective capability for wonderful works and mighty deeds, a limited ability to get things done. If they are dynamic, it is only on a small scale. This has some implications about the letter to Philadelphia that we may not have considered before.





The Parable of the Talents adds to the picture:





"An Open Door"

We commonly interpret the "open door" in the letter to Philadelphia to be a reference to preaching the gospel. This seems plausible, as Paul uses the imagery of an open door in three places to signify the opportunity to preach (I Corinthians 16:9; II Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3). However, an "open door to preach the gospel" does not fit the context of the seven messages. Does every Philadelphian have an open door to preach the gospel? All of the letters involve moral, spiritual, and attitudinal strengths and weaknesses. They emphasize overcoming rather than accomplishing one specific, external task.





Having only a little dunamis should not be a deterrent from achievement, even if it is only on a small scale. God is interested in what we do with what we have been given. Martin Luther King, Jr., put it this way:

If a man is called to be a street-sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, "Here lived a great street-sweeper, who did his job well."

© 2005 Church of the Great God
PO Box 471846
Charlotte, NC  28247-1846
(803) 802-7075

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