Transformed: 7 Pillars Of A Legacy Minded ManSample

Pillar 7: Power

Back in 2011, our house flooded from Hurricane Irene. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit and we faced the threat of even more flooding. However, something almost worse than flooding happened—the power went out for seven solid days. How do you survive with no electricity for an entire week? Fortunately, we were blessed to have a generator. Unfortunately, when I tried to start the generator, it wouldn’t start.

After a round of troubleshooting, I asked a neighbor who is mechanically inclined to take a look at it. He came over, flipped the switch, pulled the cord, and it started right up. I was dumbfounded. I asked him what happened, and he told me, “You never engaged it. You had the fuse set to off.” Many times, when we want to plug into power, we fail to engage; we fail to connect in a way that turns the power on.

I had a generator capable of powering my entire house, but it was not functioning. Similarly, many men have faith in Jesus as their Savior, but his strength is not running their lives. Sin or unbelief is short-circuiting their connection to the power of the Holy Spirit in their day-to-day lives. They are not allowing him to direct and empower every aspect of their lives, which means there is no power. My problem was not in the generator, but in the connection.

There is a great difference between calling Jesus our Savior and calling him our Lord—yielding to his wishes and handing him the keys to your life. This is a tough thing for men to do, but if we could fully understand the power that this generates, then watch out.

Power is summed up easily in the person of the Holy Spirit. The key to our victory is to rely on him for everything!

Think About It:

• God is still a God of power! What miracles have you seen?
• God is love, so His power works towards people. What practical ways can you release His compassion towards people who are hurting?
• What are ways you can depend on the Holy Spirit more in your daily life?

Legacy Lifter:

When your strength is gone or feels weak, that's where Gods strength takes over.