“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
A right relationship with Jesus is foundational to every area of your life. Your physical health is no exception.
Through a secure relationship with Jesus, you can grow and change in ways it’s impossible to do without one. In truth, we can’t accomplish anything having to do with our health without God: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13 (NLT).
Getting healthy, like any major change we make in our lives, can seem like an impossible challenge. Of course, it is impossible for those who try to do it on their own! But in our inadequacy, God’s strength for the person of faith is made perfectly evident.
That’s why it takes faith to maintain your health the way God desires. You’ll never be able to do it on your own. You were never intended to be able to! Anything you can do in your own willpower doesn't require faith, and when faith is not required, we’re living faithlessly.
When you come to Christ in acknowledgement of your weaknesses, he often turns your greatest weakness into your greatest strength. God loves to turn our greatest weakness into our greatest strength. If you feel you have a weak faith or even no faith, depend on God, and let him turn it into your greatest strength.
But that only happens through God’s power. The Bible tells us there’s a direct connection between faith and power. The more faith you have in God, the more power and the more blessings you will have in your life.
Jesus illustrated this in Matthew 13, where he went for a visit in his hometown, Nazareth. The Bible says, “Jesus did not do many miracles of power in his hometown because of their lack of faith.”
God blesses people who are not afraid to trust him completely. When you give him your trust, God fills you with his power. In the Bible, Abraham is considered the father of faith. It says, “He didn't doubt God's promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, giving honor to God for the promise, he became strong because of faith.” Romans 4:20 (GW).
Without God’s power in your life, you’re just running on your own energy. And God never meant for you to do that. It’s like having a laptop that’s unplugged; the battery will eventually drain and all the power will be gone. Why would you live like that?
Think of it like this: You’ve got a small battery in you. You can run through life on your own power, which means you’ll be tired all the time.
Or you have access to God’s power plant, provided you just plug in and admit you need God’s help.
It’s really a pretty easy choice.
Talk It Over
When is the last time you attempted something that could only be done by the power of God?
How did you see God work through that situation?
What are some of the differences between getting healthy in your own power and getting healthy through God’s power?
What are some warning signs in your own life that you’re trying to do something on your own power rather than God’s power?
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