Zechariah 4:6 “Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”’”

WORK, WORK, WORK

How many times have you tried to accomplish something for God out of your own power or might? Come on! Be honest! We have all attempted it. And what happens? Well, sometimes we actually manage to get it done, but it seldom lasts. Other times it fails miserably. Why? Because we have left the Spirit of God out of the equation.

Don’t you know that God doesn’t NEED us to accomplish His will? He is, after all, omnipotent. He can accomplish anything He wants when He wants in whatever way He wants. But He chooses to use us as part of His plan, but only if we yield to His direction and guidance. Otherwise, we wind up doing it on our own, and He gets no glory from it.

TEACHING MOMENT

How do we teach our children to allow God to use them to accomplish His will in their lives? How do we show them the importance of letting His Spirit guide them in life’s pursuits? We do that by doing it ourselves. We do that by allowing our children, at a level that is appropriate for their age, know what we are wrestling with ourselves. We do that by showing our children what it looks like to submit to His Spirit.

Now, your children may not be old enough to understand everything involved in the situation. Write it down. Make some notes. My wife and I have shared stories with our kids that happened when they were small but had an important impact on our family. Sharing those stories later can help your children understand your own faith journey and can definitely aid them as they begin their own journey of dependence on God.

It is not YOUR might or YOUR power that will accomplish anything for eternity. It is only through His Spirit that we can see everlasting change in us and others.