Know your
“Higher Power”
What does it mean to believe in an undefined “higher power”?
Does it mean the same thing to be “spiritual but not religeous” (SBNR)?
Today, researchers classify both beliefs, or rather the non-beliefs, as “Nones.” Not to be confused with Catholic “Nuns.” The term “Nones” encompasses a broad range of beliefs and identities, including atheists, agnostics, and those who identify as spiritual but do not adhere to a specific religious tradition.
Most people have heard the term “Higher Power”, particularly as it relates to 12-step recovery programs. But what or who is it?
Can you define your “Higher Power”?
Secular Definition
Below is how four of the most reputable word meaning resources define “Higher Power” both print and electronic:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary Definition: “A spirit or being (such as God) that has great power, strength, knowledge, etc., that can affect nature and the lives of people.
Dictionary.com: “A deity or another powerful but unknowable force conceptualized variously as the Supreme Being, Nature, the Universe, Invisible Energy, etc.”
YourDictionary.com: “God or a god; a deity; a supernatural force capable of affecting outcomes in the material world.”
Encyclopedia Britannica:
“A spirit or being (such as God) that has great power, strength, knowledge, etc., can affect nature and the lives of people (a Higher Power).”
So we see all of these resources trying very hard to skirt around definitavely defining “Higher Power”, as God.
Atheist Definition
Odly enough, even atheists groups define Higher Power as “some force that exerts influence on your life completely beyond your control.” However, they assert this power can be anything, as long as it’s meaningful to you.” Huh?
Spiritual But Not Religious
With regard to “SBNR”, if you do consider yourself spiritual, that suggests you actively seek a connection to something beyond, outside of, or “higher” than yourself.
While “not religious” suggests you reject belonging to a group that has any particular beliefs, or follows a particular “doctrine.”
This is understandable, with so many “Religions” to choose from in this new world, people seek a “custom fit religion” it has become much like religious Ala Carte.
Because of this fact, it is also easy to understand why the term religion, is and always has been closely associated with hypocrisy.
Throw in some form of ritual or another, and it is no wonder why so many people reject “organized religions.”
Religion vs. Christianity
That all being said, it is a great time to clearify the difference between “Religion” and Christianity.
Make no mistake, God Himself also dispises religion. He clearly demonstrated this by sending His son Jesus to intercede for us.
Furthermore, the people that Jesus rebuked the most, were the Religious ones. And those religious people, were also Christ’s most commited opponents.
So truth be told, it is a historical fact through Christ’s open rejection of their religion and identifying them as hypocrites, that they sent Him to His death. Little did they know, though they should have, and now you do, that when God sent His only son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, it was also an to end to religion.
Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation” (MK 12:38-40).
Jesus said, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in” (MT 23:13).
He also said, “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men… You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition” (MK 7:8-9).
Also, “Why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?… You hypocrites! Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men’” (MT 15:3-9).
But, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you travel around on sea and land to make convert one; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves” (MT 23:14-16).
Religion after all, is man’s attempt to impress God on his own percieved terms. Christianity is God’s way of getting to man, on His terms, through the sacrifice and acceptance of His only begotten Son, Jesus.
At the core of religion is ritual, fear, and the notion that what you do and how you do it, will earn you a place in God’s grace, and thus in heaven.
Christianity is to the contrary, about God’s love, His grace and His mercy for our redemption through the price His Son Jesus has already paid for your and my sins.
Christianity simply put is; the belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of God. Born of the virgin Mary, crucifiedfied (for our sins), died and was barried. After 3 days He conquered death, rose again to walk the earth for 40 days, before assending to heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father, God. There is no religion involved, so let there be no confusion.
If you are burdened by sin, as hard as this may be to accept, as simplistic as it may sound, it was by our merciful God’s design that all we must do, in fact, all that we can do to get to God, is to accept His son.
That being said, Christians do not need to tiptoe around the evidence that surounds all of us. We have no reason to avoid facing uncompfortable truths such as, “we are appointed time to die once, then after death to face judgement.” Hebrews 9:27
THE ANSWER
The answer to our Higher Power is clear, sensible, and supported by science. The “Super Natural Force”, “Supreme Being” or “Deity”, is the same Intelligent Designer and Creator of all things living and dead. The ruler of our universe and the source of all moral authority, Who can and certainly does affect nature, outcomes on earth and the lives of every day people. Our higher power is God.
God is Omnipotent (all-powerful), Omniscient (all Knowing), Omnipresent, (present everywhere) Benevolent (compasionate), and active in everyday human affairs.
Still Not Convinced?
Why is it, that humans are determined to look around God for some other higher power? This includes; mother nature, the sun, moon, the universe, buddha, allah, vishnu, creative intelligence, consciousness, truth, love, the highest good, and so on. The poetic irony is, that God created all of the above.
God is Truth, He is Love and He is by definition, the “Highest Good.” He alone has power over every aspect of creation because the whole earth is His!
“For by Him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions,
or rulers or authorities,
– all things were created through Him and for Him.
And He is before all things,
and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17
Despite all of the warning signs, such as the obvious turbulent times we live in, people continue as they have thoughout history, vainly puting their faith in fortunetellers, horoscopes or even themselves. They go about their lives giving little if any thought about God or their own destiny after this life ends, which is certain. “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14
You can be certain, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die…” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Until that time, we tend to be more about self “for all that is in the world”, “not of the Father”. Their gods, are the things that they desire, seek and value in this world more than anything else. That could be fame, wealth, power, alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography or something even more debased.
However, God makes it very clear to all mankind what our first priority in life must be, and how He feels about us placeing anything in our lives above Him, in the first of His 10 Commandments.
#1 “You shall have no other Gods before me.” “For I, the Lord your God, am a jellous God.”
Given this knowledge begs the question, if you say you believe in a “higher power” or a “spiritual force”, but not in God as described in the Bible, then what are you rejecting?
Are you rejecting belief in any deity that created, and rules over our universe, or only the traditional, Biblical account of God as our Creator?
Is it through a lack of knowledge or understanding? Or could it be just stuburness and pride?
Well in any case, if still not clear to you, lets completely switch gears for a moment.
Perhaps you are more of a practical thinker? If so, imagine for a moment one of the worlds first computers, they were enormous; giantic full room size machines such as NASA’s early space program guidance computer. Do you ever recall seeing video or photos of those large units with tape reels spinning back and forth at high speed, with all their blinking lights?
With those in mind, now consider your smartphone which you are likely reading this on, though it fits into the palm of your hand, the average smartphone has literally one million times the memory than that of NASA’s massive space program computer system which guided man 478,000 miles through space, to land on the moon, and return safely home. Think of that, the incredible device that fits in the palm of your hand!
Now, lets consider our universe, the stars, earth, matter, and anti-matter, a perfectly balanced ecosystem encompassing our incredibly complex and beautiful planet. And our planet by the way, which is rotating at 67,000 miles per hour around, and perfectly spaced mind you, from a 20 million-degree inferno, the sun. Yet it remains at a perfectly “constant” life-sustaining distance thus temperature here on earth, all the while in an uninhabitable vacuum of space.
Now, with all of these incomprehensable facts and stats in mind, let me ask you an honest question, one I hope for your own benefit, you will consider the honest answer;
If you had to present the two following scenarios to a room full of your piers, whether you believed either to be true not, which would be harder to explain, and most impossible to believe?
A) That the very first computer came into existence by sheer accident and further evolved into a cell phone on it’s own over time?
or
B.) Our universe, Earth, and all life happened by accident?
“Hold the phone” as they say for just a moment! Why stop there? Let us also consider our own DNA. According to professor Google, humans have an average of 3.2 billion sets of “genetic letters” that make up our human geonome.
And, according to a recent DNA Study, 1 gram of DNA can store one Billion Gig of information. That is Billions with a B! They surmise in fact, that we could store the whole world’s data in just one small room using DNA.
Now if you further consider no two DNA in the world are the same, that would be some incredibly crazy coincidences!
While we’re at it, lets not forget the human cell, or what about the atom? Or just think about the mechanics of the eyeball, or the female reproductive system, her womb, how life begins and is formed within it!
I could go on and on and on of course, but surely you get the point by now.
So going back to my earlier question, could you make a legitimate case to anyone, that the computer came into existance by accident, or further that the cell phone evolved from the computer as a result of time and natural causes?
Surely you wouldn’t, nor could you. Yet despite the modern computer processor, it’s minimal size and amazing capability, it does not begin to compare in the smallest degree, to the complexity of our universe, life on earth, or even one “constant” law of nature necessary to sustain life, such as gravity.
With that being said, if you wouldn’t try to convince someone that the computer came into existance by accident, or much less that it evolved into a mobile (computer) cell phone through natural causes, then how could you or anyone argue sensably against creation through intelligent design?
Cell phones as well as their massive computer server counterparts, with all their complexities are merely inanimate objects with no self sustaining capabilities. If they are not provided a constant source of power, or if they get to cold, to wet, or to hot, they become utterly useless junk. They are completely dependent upon an outside force to maintain them.
Closing, prevelent thought;
{All things considered, all that we have covered, in the end wisdom, understanding and disernment are required to know what is true and what is not, and they are also no accidents. To each of us, more, less or not at all, the Spirit of God provides.}
All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.” 1st Corinthians 12:11
“For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?
{understand}
So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11
{and so}
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are absurd to him,
and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14
{yet}
1 John tells us in 4:1 ” Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
“But test everything; hold fast to what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21
{so at this point you may asking; how can you know if this is true or not, if you do not know or have within you the Spirit of God?
The fact that you are reading this here is likely because the spirit of God is tugging on your heart.
So while learning all of this about God, and the Spirit of God, may seem like Greek or difficult for you to understand at this point in time, the Good News is two fold, one you are on the right path and two the Spirit of Truth, which is the Spirit of God, is revealed exponentially to those who seek the truth.}
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” Proverbs 18:15
John explains in chapter 16 verse :13 “When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.”
Whoever is wise let him understand these things;
whoever’s discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them. Hosea 14:9
“For God is not a God of confusion, but of Peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:3
{So where and how do you receive the Spirit of God, His discernment, wisdom and understanding?
James gives us the answer in James chapter 1 verse :5 “If any of you lacks Wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given to him.”
“Let the wise hear an increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” Proverbs 1:5
“Wisdom is supreme, therefore get wisom.” Proverbs 4:7a