The Power

Yesterday I blogged about a quote from my pastor's sermon on Sunday. There was another thing that struck me from his sermon, a simple prayer (I slightly amended): "God, give me the power and skill equal to the tasks you've given me."

It struck me because I'd just interviewed for a new position at Group as Managing Editor, and was waiting to hear if I got it. It's a big task, and I knew if I got the job I'd need his power to help me lead with wisdom and grace.

Well, I found out yesterday that I got the job! Official on April 9, I am a Managing Editor. I'm so excited, and so honored to have this opportunity to help shape the amazing products Group puts out. I'm also humbled. I'm pretty young to be in a position of leadership. I know I have a lot to learn. I'm thankful I have a wealth of wise leaders to look to and learn from at Group.

But as wise as each leader at Group is, none of them is perfect. They are some of the best leaders I have ever known, but no human is without flaw. So while I'm thankful for their examples, I'm most thankful for the ultimate leader, the perfect one, who I know can equip me with the power and skill I need to do this job well.

When I wrote this prayer in my sermon journal, I wrote in parentheses "As Managing Editor? Or not yet..." I wasn't sure what God had planned for me or when, but I knew that whatever my task, whether or not it included management, I needed God's power in my life.

We'd started the sermon by shouting out attributes of God. Things like creative, loving, faithful, sovereign, powerful, big, awesome. And the fact of the matter is, it's THIS God who wants to use you. It's THIS God who will give you the power you need to do the tasks he's entrusted to you. Whatever those tasks are. He's on your side. But a vacuum cleaner won't have any power unless you plug it into the wall. And in the same way, we need to seek God's power if we really want it to infuse the tasks he's given us. Are you praying for power?