I Am Not Omnipotent

Have you ever had someone admit to you, "I have trust issues"? You might wonder, at first, what that means. But when you hear their story of abandonment or abuse, you begin to understand. (If you are the one with the trust issues, you know exactly why you feel like this.)

But if you stop to think about it, "trust issues" could be renamed "control issues." If you struggle to trust someone like an authority figure or someone from a specific demographic (financial, racial, gender, age, etc.), it is most likely because you were previously hurt by someone who fits the same category as the person you are struggling to trust. So to protect yourself, you don't trust them in order to maintain some sense of control in your life.

This desire to keep control, while completely understandable, reveals that deep down, we want to be omnipotent - all-powerful, in complete control. Yet there is only One who can hold that title.

Not Your Power, but His

Today, we conclude our blog series on the "big three" incommunicable characteristics of God - His omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. As we do so, I want to end this series by talking about one of the most abused Bible verses in all of Scripture.

It is quite common for athletes to write Philippians 4:13 on a sock, have it tattooed on their body, or post it in their Instagram bio. This famous "athlete's" verse says:

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13, ESV)

These athletes see these words as an inspiration. They believe it means they can do "all things" (score the goal, win the match, earn the gold, etc.) because God will strengthen them to achieve greatness.

But this is NOT what this verse means! When you put verse 13 in context, you see that the preceding verse says:

"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." (Philippians 4:12, ESV)

In other words, Paul was saying he could "do" poverty or wealth, live with a scarcity or abundance of food, have new clothes or be stuck with old rags, be famous or infamous, or whatever. He could do "all things" because he knew his God would be with him and strengthen him no matter his circumstances.

With that, I want you to notice one other thing about verse 13. But to see it, let me ask you a question: From where does this strength to handle any situation come?

Through Jesus! Meaning, Jesus is the Omnipotent One, not you. He is the One with all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He is the One who can calm the storm (Mark 4:35-41, Psalm 107:29). He is the One who can raise the dead (John 10:17-18, 12:1). He is the One who can strengthen you through a relationship bonding or breakage, a financial influx or struggle, a physical achievement or battle, or in whatever situation you find yourself.

So don't try to control everything. Instead, trust Jesus, the Omnipotent One, to work through His Holy Spirit to strengthen you for whatever you are facing or whatever is ahead.