The Lodestar

Paul praises God for this unrivalled power, here and in other places in the letter to the Ephesians. To help the readers understand God's active power, Paul emphasises that God can accomplish more than they could ask in prayer. He then says that God can do things that humans cannot comprehend.

An analogy from climatology may help clarify this concept. Fierce winds high in the atmosphere create turbulence that tosses airplanes; passengers who are not wearing seatbelts may be thrown from their seats. Despite heavy winds 40,000 ft above, far below, life goes on as usual on the ground, unaware of the scene far above. But if the wind is lower, we may see clouds moving fast. If it is at the level of the trees, it may cause them to break. If it is further down, it could fly off our roofs. Unless we experience power, we cannot know power.

We do not experience divine power when it is far above, holding the constellation together (Col 1:17) and guiding them through their paths (Job 9:5—12). But divine power is experienced when it works in our lives, when it is the "power at work within us."

We realise how great God is when he does otherwise unimaginable things through us, things we could not do by our strength. What he could do is not limited by our power to imagine because he can "do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think."

Paul is thanking God for his personal experience. Being able to travel the known world many times, bringing ordinary people to aristocrats to know Christ, and being delivered from snakes and wild animals, shipwrecks, and all sorts of dangers was a mere display of divine power in a weakling like him.

We can achieve more than we usually can because, as Christ-followers, Christ's strength complements ours. If we learn to lean on the one for whom nothing is impossible, we can do more than our health and emotional strength allow.

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