daily devotional

Whatever Jesus says about you, that is your truth. He never says anything to give you false confidence or just make you feel better in the moment. His words about you are true, you can count on them, and build your life on them.

This is what he said about you … he said you would do even greater things than him.

Whoa … say what Jesus? Yip, that’s what he said.

John 14:11 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.”

This wasn’t some sort of rah-rah pep talk to puff us up with false hope. This was Jesus’ final teachings to his closest circle of friends right before he went to the cross. This was his final message. His passing of the torch. If you believe in me, you will do even greater things than I have done. Why? Because Jesus went to be with the Father. What happened when Jesus went to be with the Father? We were given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

God’s spirit comes with POWER, and girl as a believer of Jesus, that is what you have been offered. The power of the Almighty dwells within you, empowering you to do the things Jesus did, and even greater.

That’s hard to believe though isn’t it? Me? I’ve been empowered to do these great things? I’m just ordinary.

We all put our stretchy pants on the same way. Nothing really magical about me and you. But girl, never forget what is INSIDE. The power to move mountains is in us. The power to change anything that needs to be changed is in us. The power to do the impossible is in us.

This is what Jesus says about you … You will do even greater works than him!

And as my friend Bob Goff reminded me, Jesus wouldn’t have told us we’d do greater things than him if he didn’t think we could. Why not take him up on his offer?

It’s not too bold or cocky to say “Alrighty then Jesus, I want to do something great with my life.” In fact, that’s obedience.

Lord here I am with the power of your spirit in me, I’m ready to do those great things.

Why have I always read this scripture and dismissed myself of this truth? Why would I assume these great things were for someone better than me to be doing? Why would you assume the same? The only qualifying factor here is if we believe in Jesus. Okay, you believe in Jesus, then you have the power to do some radically awesome things with your life! That’s it. There’s the exchange.

NEVER FORGET WHAT IS LIVING INSIDE OF YOU.

Romans 8:11 “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” That’s the impossible. That’s life altering power. That’s the ultimate show of overcoming, and that is what lives in you! Your mind should be blown right now and girl your confidence should be through the roof.

I love watching the football show Last Chance University with my husband. Now I’m not endorsing the language because whew, it’s crude and highly unholy, but I love the relationship between a coach and his players. I love the words a coach speaks to draw out potential within a young man. Last night coach said “boy, you have a whole world of potential inside of you, you just have to live up to it.”

This player was struggling, showing up as a lesser than version of who he was capable of being. The coach saw something in him he couldn’t see for himself.

Isn’t that us? Aren’t we the player in life sometimes struggling, showing up as a lesser than version of who we are capable of being? And Jesus is the coach who sees in us what we can’t see for ourselves. We not only have a whole world of potential inside of us, but we have the power of God in us!

With God, all things are possible. When God is for us, who can be against us?

And we have been given a charge, LIVE UP TO IT!

Stop holding back. Stop backing down. Stop sitting it out. Stop discounting who God has empowered you to be. Get out there and do some great things with this one life you have been given.

I know the conversation going in your head at this moment. “But I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to start. I’m not really that good at anything. I don’t have any support.” Oh, I know the conversations because I have them in my head too. There’s a negative committee that meets in my head and talks me out of some really big and great things. At some point we have to tell the negative committee to sit down and shut up so we can hear what the Spirit of God is saying.

The Holy Spirit is saying ‘I support you, and that’s all the support you will ever need’. The Holy Spirit is saying ‘you may not be good at anything right now but you have no idea what I can empower you with the ability to do’. The Holy Spirit is saying ‘you don’t know what to do, oh come on girl, I give you those holy nudges on the daily! Start following them!’

You don’t have to show up and do great things under your own power, you are powered by God! And his power is unstoppable, unlimited, and unmatched. You’ve just forgotten what’s inside of you.

His power never fails, but sometimes you forget to turn it on. Sometimes you think it’s all up to you to figure this out. Sometimes you think you past failures and struggles disqualify you from doing something great now. YOU’RE WRONG.

TURN ON THE POWER INSIDE OF YOU. When Jesus died on that cross and was resurrected to return to the Father, he left behind a parting gift for every single one of us who would believe in him. That gift is the Holy Spirit, the power of God to dwell within us. And that power is what enables ordinary girls like me and you to boldly step up and do something extraordinary with our lives.

Don’t you play little here. Don’t you dismiss yourself from this truth. Coach Jesus is saying ‘girl, look what is inside of you – live up to it!’

What could you do with this one life, living with all that power inside of you? Well my mind can’t even imagine what is possible for someone like you with a power like that, but I sure would like to know! How about you believe what Jesus said about you and buy into it? That’s what Jesus thinks about you, so how about you start thinking it too?

Jesus, I want to do something great with my life. Lord here I am with the power of your spirit in me, I’m ready to do those great things.