Power User

What a voice dictation app taught me about the dynamite of God's power

I was using one of my favorite apps, Wispr Flow — a voice dictation app that is absolutely amazing — when a notification popped up. Wispr Flow was letting me know that I was close to becoming a power user. Apparently I had become proficient enough that the app wanted to encourage me to continue toward that illustrious status: power user.

I began to think about that phrase, power user, which led me to think about the word power from God's perspective (a big jump, but that's how my mind works). In Greek, the word translated as "power" in the New Testament is dunamis, from which we get the word dynamite. From the Bible's perspective, power is dynamite.

In Philippians, Paul says, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings." We often talk about sharing in and understanding suffering as a Christian, but do we understand enough about the power that is available to us?

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us as His followers. Paul states this explicitly: "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe in him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms." This boggles my mind. I think of that explosion of power that raised Jesus on Easter morning. That same power resides in me!

I want to know Christ. I also want to know the power of his resurrection — which for me means I want to come to believe more and more that God's unfathomable power is in me, available to me, if I believe. Jesus said that we can move mountains if we have faith the size of a mustard seed. I admit that my faith is nowhere close to a mustard seed. This is a place for me to grow. But isn't that the essence of faith — that it grows as we feed it, challenge it, and practice it?

I write these words as an aspiration for me, and perhaps for you. That we all might grow to know more and more the dynamite of His resurrection that resides in us who believe. May this shape my prayers and my conversations. The day will come when I will see from heaven's side the truth of what God offers us even now.