![[Photo of a Scripture verse]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/Philippians_4_13.jpg)
| “I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.” |
| —Philippians 4:13 |
“I think I could really learn Microsoft Word® if someone would just show me some of the more useful tips and tricks.”
The person saying that could be almost anyone. To long-time users of personal computers, MS Word seems quite simple. But, to someone just getting his or her feet wet in the art of personal computing, there are so many features, so many tricks, so many undisclosed shortcuts that make working with this software easier, most people really could use someone to enable them to use Word more effectively.
For example, when trying to format text in a way that makes it easier to read, people will do all kinds of work-arounds rather than learn how to properly set tabs and indents. The result is a mashup of confusing formatting that will easily drive someone over the edge who later tries to edit that document.
I have been a willing enabler for a number of individuals seeking to learn more about MS Word over the years. And, I am all the happier for having done it, especially when the person I’m helping shares information with me that I must use for some other purpose. It’s easier to help someone learn how to properly format a document in MS Word than to try to decipher their typical work-around formatting at a later time.
We all need enablers in our lives to learn the things we need to learn, to accomplish the things we need to accomplish, and to reach the goals we need to reach. I particularly appreciate it when someone knowledgeable sets aside some time to help me.
One of my very dear friends makes explanatory videos for the company where he works. He is a master at creating very useful and educational videos. He freely shares these videos on YouTube, so people who might need help understanding some of the very technical topics for which he is responsible can easily find the information. He is a natural teacher, a natural enabler. Some of the very significant success he has achieved in his chosen field comes from this gift that God has given him to enable others to use the products his company makes in the most efficient and most effective way.
In our spiritual lives, we need an enabler. And, God stands ready to enable us to will and to do the things He wants us to do. In fact, one of the roles that Jesus fills in our lives—through the in-dwelling Holy Spirit—is an enabler of our spiritual formation and an enabler of our ever-more-effective understanding of how to become an ever-maturing disciple.
The Apostle Paul acknowledges this when he writes these words found in Philippians 4:13:
I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.
As we begin another new day, let’s recognize that we have no limits in the spiritual realm. God has given us all the strength we need to do what He asks us to do for Him and for His Kingdom. Let’s willingly allow Christ to enable us to activate the strength in and through us that He so lovingly supplies.
