Some Christians seem to have an internal combustion system. Their spiritual cylinders are always pumping. They have the smile, the joy and the bounce that sets them apart from others. They always seem to be on fire for God.
Then there are the rest of us. Far from internal combustion, we can never seem to get rid of our infernal congestion. We are always choking and coughing, spitting and sputtering. We can manage an occasional smile and a few milliseconds of joy, but forget the bounce. And if we're ever on fire, it's because we mistook the jalapeno for okra.
What makes the difference? As a member of the Infernal Congestion Society, I am happy to announce that I have infiltrated the ranks of the Internal Combustion Society and discovered the secret of those bouncy brothers and smiling sisters in Christ.
"Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work WITHIN US, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV, emphasis mine).
Do you see it? The source and secret of the joy and power found in our perky partners in Christ IS Christ! The secret is not who THEY are. The secret is who GOD is -- IN them.
God is the one who has the ability, not the believer. And when His ability is welcomed into our availability, He has freedom to work within us. And when God has freedom to work within us without any interference from us, it's like having an internal combustion system.
We can all belong to the Internal Combustion Society. All we have to do is trust God to release His joy and power in and through our lives.
About to Bust,
Perry Crisp
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