Did you know that the Lord wants you to be empowered by the Holy Spirit? He wants the Holy Spirit to help you follow God’s will in your life. Someone who is empowered is someone who has authority. The dictionary definition of empower is “to give power or authority to; to authorize.” It can also mean “to enable or permit.”[1] When you are empowered by the Holy Spirit, you are enabledorpermitted to do that which your ministry or role requires of you.
The Holy Spirit Empowered Jephthah
The Lord gave the Holy Spirit to Jephthah so that he could accomplish the Lord’s plan. Jephthah, the commander of Israel’s army, wanted to make peace with Ammon, but they didn’t want peace. Judges 11:28 But the king of Ammon paid no attention to Jephthah’s message.
The Lord then went to plan B and sent the Holy Spirit to enable Jephthah to win the battle. Judges 11: 29 At that time the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and from there he led an army against the Ammonites.[2]
The power of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jephthah enabled him to be a victorious leader. The Holy Spirit can do the same in your life.
The Holy Spirit Empowers Every Believer
When you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit empowers you. You were likely not aware of this the moment you were “born again.” At the time, most of us did not realize there was a term for such a time! John 3:6 tells us that the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. As you came to believe in Jesus, the empowering of the Holy Spirit began the process of living a Godly life.
The Holy Spirit equips and empowers you to live out God’s plan for your life. We build the Kingdom of God by loving others. As we love them, we make a difference in their lives and this is what builds the Kingdom. As we serve others, pray, and disciple them, God uses us to benefit their lives.
Matthew 22: 37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[3]
A purposeful and fulfilled life comes from a life of loving and serving God and others. Yes, you are called to a life of service. Praise the Lord! This is what you were made for! What’s more, you are not expected to draw on your own strength to meet this calling. You are not left to pursue this life of servanthood on your own. That’s why you have the empowering work of the Holy Spirit.
To hear more about the empowering of the Holy Spirit, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/faith-makes-a-difference-jephthah
[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empower, accessed January 19, 2021.
[2,3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.