“Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:12-13 NLT).

ARE YOU WORKING OUT WHAT GOD IS WORKING IN?

Physically, we are born with the muscles that God gave us. Yet, it is up to us to work them out. As we learn to crawl, then walk, and ultimately to run, we work out the physical strength that God is “working in” us. If we don’t work out, our bodies atrophy from lack of use. Motion is the potion for physical health.

Spiritually, when we trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are born again, receiving new spiritual muscles as it were. Now we must learn to move in the Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit, we walk by faith and produce the fruit of the Spirit. We must move in faith by the Spirit!

But what do we do when we lack will power? Look at the Scripture again, it says that “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” In other words, when we depend on Him, He gives us a new “desire” and a new drive to please Him. We can depend on God’s power not only to do, but even to give us the willpower (or “won’t-power”) to get started.

Are you working out what God is working in?

PRAYER: Dear Father, give us the willpower today to work out what You are working in us. We want to move according to Your power for Your pleasure. Strengthen our physical bodies today, but more than that, fill us afresh with Your Spirit to will and to do what pleases You. In Jesus’ name, amen.