05/26/2026
“I hate feeling powerless…”
This thought comes from several decades ago. I was working at Indiana Wesleyan and was driving home after a long day at work. I was praying about how the day had gone. And I was frustrated. I spent the day working on a funding proposal. We had done everything I believe we could have. We’d worked hard to get all the ducks lined up. And now all we could do it wait for someone else to say, “Yes” and fire the gun so this race could get started.
This passage came to mind. Paul’s words: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)
Those words actually came to mind and then the Holy Spirit said, “Did you hear what you just said? You said “I hate feeling powerless.” The very place where Paul said I was most powerful in his life, you said you hate that place.”
Did you ever have one of those experiences where God drives a truth deep into your life? Kind of like a peg on which He hangs a lot of meaning. Here’s one of mine…
Our church took a team to Suriname, South America. It’s where I was born and we were there to help build a church in the town of Moengo. We were going to be there two weeks. Another team from another church preceded us. They were to prepare the site. Clear brush. Dig and pour footers Another team had already been down there to prepare the site. Clear brush. Dig and pour footers.
I remember getting to the work site on that first day. It had rained heavily while the other team was there and the footers were not poured. Every was filled with water. Overflowing. It was a swamp. And here was a vanload of Americans to build a church. You can imagine what we were thinking.
”You can’t build a church there! It’s a swamp.” ”I am not walking in that with my new tennis shoes … with my boots.” OK! Maybe I was the only one who had those thoughts.
I’ll give those guys credit. They “waded” in. Their attitude was, “OK! If this is where God wants his church built, then let’s get to it.”
Somebody pointed out that we had to get the boards for the footers up where we could see them. When we pour the cement, it has to be level. And I’m thinking, “How on earth can you get things level when the site is underwater?
Someone pointed out that water seeks its own level. They drove in posts and measured from the surface of the water … you know … that water that’s perfectly level … and tied strings. Somehow the conquered the issue of getting things level.
Eventually we needed to Mix cement. Again, I’m wondering, “Where’s are we supposed to get water for the cement?” One of the guys laughed. “You’re standing in it, brother.”
Two weeks later we left. The footers were poured. The walls were up. The trusses had been built and raised. Crushed rock had been brought in and the whole property backfilled.
The following Easter the church that can’t be built had 3,000 people attend services. They actually had to rent the soccer stadium for the day.
God brought that to mind the day I was frustrated with being “powerless.” He reminded me … take what I’ve given you … the situation I’ve placed you … and (whatever it is) just pour yourself into it. Leave the results to me.
Perhaps someone reading this is facing an impossible situation. You feel powerless to change it. I trust you’ll hear the Lord speaking to you. Encouraging and directing you to press on. To claim the promise that He works all things work together for good for those who love Him, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Quick note - The picture is an AI created image. I'm sure I have an actual picture somewhere, but I couldn't find it.
