I try to play football with my colleagues at least once every week to complete my weekly bodily exercise quota. From the period leading up to the last Christmas holiday season to the early part of January, I did not play football or get involved in any structured form of exercise for four weeks. When I got back from vacation, I decided to get on the green pitch again to get things rolling for the year. Before I got on the pitch that evening, I told myself that I was going to take things easy and play a defensive role to gradually get myself back into the flow having been away for a relatively long time.
When the game started and the adrenaline rush kicked in, I forgot my agreement with myself and made a dash forward and ended up scoring the only goal of the game for my team. In that process and without warning, my thigh muscle popped and that was my last kick of the game and further keeping me out of the game for a few weeks.
For fun, I decided to find out the muscles that were impacted by the injury and identified them as my Sartorius and Rectus Femoris. They form part of the four muscles that make up the thigh muscle known as quadriceps.
At that moment when I ran forward, I erroneously assumed that because I had played for a few minutes, I could go ahead and play at top form, without realizing that my thoughts and my muscles were not working at the same frequency. Reminiscing about this incident, I remembered how Samson thought he still had his superpowers after his head had been shaved.
Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the LORD had left him. Judges 16:20 [NLT]
Another similar story is that of Peter denying Jesus shortly after promising to die with him. He must have convinced himself that he was afraid on nothing and no one. He did not realize that his self-confidence was unfounded.
Peter said, “What do you mean I’m not able to follow you now? I would sacrifice my life to die for you!” Jesus answered, “Would you really lay down your life for me, Peter? Here’s the absolute truth: Before the rooster crows in the morning, you will say three times that you don’t even know me!” John 13: 37-38 [TPT]
Will power or brute strength cannot help us as we navigate our lives as Christians on this side of eternity. If we try to go it on our own and do things on our own terms, we will fail 100% of the times. When we have been in church for a long time and served in a particular capacity, there will be the temptation to depend on our ‘work experience’ in doing the work of God. We should never fall into this trap.
During the earthly ministry of Jesus, the apostles were with him all the time, they heard, they saw, they observed and touched Jesus. They had first hand experience that we can only imagine. Yet, that did not qualify them to launch their ministry without waiting for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1: 4 – 5 [NLT]
…And when they eventually launched out, they depended on Him for continuous guidance and empowerment every time.
Next, Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. Acts 6: 6 – 8 [NLT]
What Paul and Silas wanted to do was a good thing, but it was not what God wanted at that time. If they had solely depended on their experience and logical plans, they would have gone to Asia to preach the gospel, but they would have been on their own, doing the work of God without God.
We should never go on our own based on where we have been and what we have done in the past. This will ensure that our story is not like to story of my Sartorius and Rectus Femoris or the clean-shaven version of Samson. We should always defer to the guidance of the Holy Spirit every day, every time and everywhere. Then we will always be victorious and have good success.
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