1 Corinthians 2:4
"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:"
There is something definitely lacking that I see in our present day Christianity. We are living in times when Christians should have the greatest influence of all time. Technology is at its best! We have the opportunity to influence a world in a moments notice with technology. We have the best printing and graphics technology of any time. We have access to education like no other generation has had. We have the capability to contact thousands with one click of a button through social networking. Yet, Christianity's influence is not growing, but waning.
What is the cause of this decline in influence? Is it that sermons are not as eloquent as they should be? Is it that our education is not as good as it should be? Are the standards of separation too high to influence a world? Are we not being hospitable enough in our churches? All of these are great guesses, but none of these things are the cause of what is lacking in Christianity.
Paul very plainly addressed the issue that seems to be lacking today. He said, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:" It was not Paul's eloquence that changed the lives of individuals, but it was the power of the Holy Spirit upon his life that caused the change. It was not his ability to show the deeper things of the Word of God that caused him to influence people, but it was the power of God's Holy Spirit upon him that caused the influence. It was not his ability to impress people with his use of the Hebrew vocabulary that caused him to influence people, but it was the power of the Holy Spirit upon his life that made the influence.
The one thing that is lacking in Christianity today is the power of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing wrong with having a good education, but education has not and will never change a society for Christ. There is nothing wrong with mastering your language and using it properly when you preach or teach the Word of God, but the mastery of ones vocabulary will never do a work on the hearts of individuals. There is nothing wrong with using the latest technologies to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but technology in and of itself will never change an individual's hearts. Christianity is not missing a thing, but it is missing a person. What Christianity lacks today is the power of the Holy Spirit.
What are you depending upon to influence the lives of people? If you are depending upon anything else other than the Holy Spirit to do the work in the hearts of individuals, then you are mistaken. More than your need of more education, you need God's power. More than learning how to master your language, you need the power of the Holy Spirit. More than the need of another technology to get the Gospel out, you need the power of the Holy Spirit. More than you polishing what you do for Christ, you need the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the demonstration of the power of God that makes your faith stand. Without His power you will fail. This devotional is in no way decrying the use of these things, but it is to stir you for your need of the Holy Spirit's power. The only thing we truly lack is God's power. With His power you will make a great influence on those around you.