Enablement
Enablement
The Lord wants to use these powerful I AM statements in and through our lives, both to help us personally and enable us to help others.
Distributors. For example, Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35), and we feed on Him through the Word (vv. 68–69). But He feeds us that we might in turn feed others. We are not only to receive a blessing but also to be a blessing (Gen. 12:2; Ps. 1:3). Like the servants at the wedding (John 2:1–10) and the apostles in John 6, we are distributors, not manufacturers! We say with Peter, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you” (Acts 3:6). We cannot give others what we don’t have ourselves, and the Lord is willing and able to fill our hearts and hands so we may feed others. Don’t try to manufacture blessings. Jesus has cornered the market.
Often in my ministry of preaching, teaching, and writing, I have felt like the man in the parable who had no bread to give his unexpected visitor and had to beg bread from a neighbor (Luke 11:5–8). The Lord has always provided, sometimes at the last minute! All it takes is a wedding, a funeral, and a church member dying in the hospital, and the study hours evaporate; but God has never failed me. Daily I have asked Him to feed me from His Word, and there has always been bread in the cupboard.
Light bearers. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12), and as we follow Him, we become lights to help others see their way. The unconverted people in this world are walking in darkness and, sad to say, so are too many professed Christians (1 John 1:5–10). And when the crisis comes, they look to us for light. “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light” (Acts 26:17–18). “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14).
Followers. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and as His obedient sheep, we feed in green pastures and are refreshed by the quiet waters (Ps. 23:2). He gives us provision (“I lack nothing,” v. 1) and protection (“I will fear no evil,” v. 4), so we have all that we need. Not only do we bring joy to His heart, but we are also good examples for the other sheep to imitate. No matter how much training and experience we have had, in order to be effective leaders, we must first be obedient followers.
Wonders. Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25–26), and we who have trusted Him have been raised from spiritual death and given everlasting life (Eph. 2:1–10). We are living miracles! The people who attended the funeral of Lazarus hurried to his home in Bethany four days later to see him alive! Lazarus could say with the psalmist, “I have become a marvel to many” (Ps. 71:7 NASB). There was not one recorded word of Lazarus the people could reference. They simply had to look at him, and they trusted Jesus (John 12:9–11)! I want my Lord to help me “live a new life” (Rom. 6:4) so that I can be a walking miracle and point others to the Savior. Let’s keep our lives on a miracle basis to the glory of God.
Travelers. Jesus is the way and because we have trusted Him, our assured destination is the Father’s house (John 14:6). We are on the right way because we have believed the truth and received the life (Matt. 7:13–14). To believe the truth but not walk in the way is to miss the life. They go together. Those who don’t believe the truth as it is in Jesus do not have the life that Jesus gives, and they would be miserable in the Father’s house. The popular philosophy today is that there are no absolutes and that Christians are not politically correct to say that faith in Jesus is the only way to be saved. But Jesus is the way and not one of many ways. As we obediently continue our pilgrimage on the way, we discover more truth and enjoy more of the abundant life.
Fruit bearers. Abiding as branches in Jesus, the vine, is the only way to enjoy a life of fruitfulness and usefulness (John 15:1–17). This means experiencing painful pruning so that we might be able to bear more and better fruit, but this is what glorifies our Lord. And we must keep in mind that the branches do not eat the fruit; they share it with others. Age, experience, and talent have very little to do with this remarkable fruit bearing; the secret is the faith, love, and obedience that enable us to abide in Christ. Around the time of my eightieth birthday, I was praying about my ministry and the painful limitations age can bring, and the Lord gave me assurance from Psalm 92:14: “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” What a birthday gift!
Paul wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).
If you and I want that same kind of testimony, we must live in the present tense, abiding in Jesus Christ, who says, “I AM.”