Why Does It Feel Like God's Power Is for Other Christians and Not Me?

By Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA

Because you have been living like you bought a cheap seat when Jesus already paid for your VIP access. The power of the Holy Spirit is not reserved for the extra-anointed few. It was bought for you, given to you, and it comes with every privilege everybody else has.

Let me tell you about my husband. If there is any way to get the VIP pass, the VIP seat, the VIP package to an event, that is what we are getting. That is mostly a David thing, but I am not mad at it one bit. And you know how the VIP package works. It costs more, and it comes with everything. Special seating. A better view. More privacy. The little hors d'oeuvres. Maybe an autograph, maybe a shout out from the stage, maybe a swag bag. Access that regular ticket holders just do not get.

Now here is the part that matters. If somebody buys that VIP package for you as a gift, you get every single one of those privileges too. It does not matter one bit that you did not pay for it. Gifted or purchased, the access is exactly the same. And that is precisely what happened to you with the Holy Spirit.

Who Paid for Your Access to the Holy Spirit?

Jesus did. The Holy Spirit is a VIP gift that Somebody else, whose name is Jesus the Christ, bought for you with His own Blood and then handed to you for free. When you admitted your sin, believed, and confessed Him, the access transferred straight to you. Fully. And listen to how exclusive this gift actually is. John 14:17 (NKJV) speaks of "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." The world cannot get what you have. That is VIP access. Not everybody has it, and you do.

And it comes with power. Acts 1:8 (NKJV) says, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Not might receive. Shall receive. That is not a maybe, and it is not reserved for the pastor or the prophet or the woman on the front row with her hands lifted. It is yours.

And notice what that power is actually for. It is not just so you can feel something on a Sunday. It is power to live, power to forgive, power to carry what used to crush you, power to do the work God has for you. The VIP access was never only about the perks. It was about being fully equipped to walk in everything He has called you to.

So Why Are We Living Like We're in the Cheap Seats?

That is exactly the problem. We are walking around with full VIP status, acting like we bought a standard ticket or no ticket at all. We are sitting in the cheap seats when there is a whole reserved section with our name on it. We are outside the building trying to scalp a ticket when we already have the pass in our hand. We act like we are not entitled to the better view, the privacy, the shout out, the swag bag, when all of it was bought and paid for us.

And a lot of that is the enemy whispering. He will tell you that the real power is for them over there, that they have got something you do not have, that your salvation was real but the power part is for somebody more special. The devil is a lie. You are a VIP too. Same package, same privileges, same access, every single day.

So walk in it like you know it. If your VIP privileges come with a swag bag, go on and pick up the swag bag. If they come with a shout out from the stage, make sure they call your name. Quit standing outside the building when you have a seat down front. Quit leaving your privileges on the table because you are too busy convincing yourself they must belong to somebody else. Everything Jesus paid for, He paid for so that you would actually use it.

Does This Mean My Gift Is Just as Valuable?

Yes it does, and you need to hear it. The Spirit hands out gifts, and every one of them is VIP. There are leading gifts like apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. There are supporting gifts like service, encouragement, giving, administration, leadership, and mercy. There are gifts like wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, and discernment. And every one of them has a role. Do not let anybody make you feel like your gift of administration is worth less than somebody's prophetic gift. What good is a word about where we are going if there is no order to carry it out? What good is a teacher if nobody has the gift to encourage the woman who just got taught? Every gift matters. Every gift is VIP.

So stop leaving your privileges on the table. Stop minimizing what God put in you. You did not sneak in the back door. You were bought a seat down front. Go on and take it.

Take this to the Word yourself. John 14:15-18, Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.

What This Means for You

Where have you been sitting in the cheap seats, believing God's power was for other people, when Jesus already bought you full VIP access?

Yesterday we got the gift out of the box. Today we found out you have full VIP access that Jesus already paid for. Next up, we close the week with what happens when you finally start using this gift.

I teach God's Word weekly inside the SheShed Community, and this is exactly the kind of teaching that hits different when you're in the room for it. The replay of this teaching, “An Awesome Gift,” is available inside the community as well. Come sit with us.