Willpower or Divine Power

God has uniquely designed women to create, innovate, nurture, multi-task, and so on. We wear many different hats, and most of them require something from us. We pour out from our cup almost every day, all day long - to our husbands, to our kids, to our workplace, to serving others, to friends or family in need, and the list goes on. If we are not careful, constant pouring out without receiving fresh infilling from Heaven can lead to a place of frustration or even burnout. To be the wives, mothers, employees, entrepreneurs, volunteers, or friends that God has called us to be, we must fill up our cups with Him first and foremost. The who must come before the what. He comes before whatever we are called to do. We can do everything that is required of us, but we have a choice to do it out of willpower or divine power.

There is a distinct difference between willpower and divine power. Willpower is utilizing your own human strength and divine power is utilizing strength from Heaven. Willpower can get you pretty far, but divine power will take you where no man can; only God can. How do we know if we are operating out of willpower or divine power? The answer is found in your secret place with the Lord. The “secret place” is the private time you create (or maybe haven’t yet created) with the Lord. Most people (in fact, I encourage it) find a set place that they routinely go to seek the Lord through prayer, worship, and reading His Word. Here is where we create a space to encounter His presence through our praise and thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4). Here is where we can find refuge in the shelter of the Most High (Psalm 91:1). Here is where we can share our secrets with our Friend in Jesus and He will share His secrets with us (Psalm 25:14). Here is where we build a relationship with God. In the same way, you wouldn’t be able to build a successful earthly relationship by only communicating once a week; the same goes for building a relationship with our heavenly Father. The more communication, the stronger the relationship. Jesus showed us the importance of the secret place when He would continually step away from the crowds and His disciples to go meet with the Lord alone. That’s where He would refill His cup to later be able to pour out power. If Jesus, the Son of God, who did signs, miracles, and wonders, prioritized a secret place with the Lord, then we most certainly need to do so as well.

There is a heavenly exchange that happens in the secret place where there is an outpouring of fresh oil that will sustain you. The term “oil” in the Bible is often referred to as the Holy Spirit, so you can use the terms interchangeably. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit also happens on Sundays when we all come together for corporate worship, but girl, I don’t know about you— I need that heavenly oil every day for me to stay in a place of divine power. Meeting with God just on Sunday is not enough to sustain us. In order for us not just to maintain but to excel in every area God has called us to be, we must stay in a place yielded and relying on the Holy Spirit.

Have you created an opportunity in your daily routine where you meet with God to receive a fresh refill of your cup? Do you rely on this alone time with your Creator like the lifeline it can be? Have you placed the who before the what? In the same way that you don’t miss a day of pouring out from your cup, woman of God, don’t miss a day that you don’t get your cup filled up from the Lord. Not only will you be able to partner with the Lord and be able to do exceedingly more than you ever thought possible, but you will do it with strength, grace, joy, and most importantly, divine power. Your calling is counting on you to get disciplined in seeking the Lord so that you will be able not just to fulfill your assignment but thrive in it! People are waiting on the other side of your obedience in this area. Burnout and frustration don’t have to be your portion. Stay in a place of continually seeking His face to fill your cup to overflow! And what you do in private, your heavenly Father will reward you publicly (Matthew 6:4).

I’d love for you to do this quick exercise… on a sheet of paper or a note on your phone, write all the things that require something of you. I named a few in the first paragraph, but get down to the details. Afterward, look at each item and ask yourself … have I invited God into this area of my life? Am I operating in this area out of willpower or out of divine power? Challenge yourself to go deeper with your alone time with the Lord this week, and begin praying through every area on that list.