{"id":8273,"date":"2018-12-11T05:29:43","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T05:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/?p=8273"},"modified":"2018-12-04T09:32:10","modified_gmt":"2018-12-04T09:32:10","slug":"offering-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/offering-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"Offering Strength"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>One of my favourite movie genres is the whole superhero thing. I just love the message that these movies tend to send out. One of my all-time favourite movie quotes is \u201c\u2026with great power comes great responsibility!\u201d I am probably never happier than settling down for an evening to watch \u2018Man of Steel\u2019 or the \u2018Dark Knight\u2019 franchise.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the reason for this is very simple\u2014something inside me is stirred by the theme of using our strength to make the world a better place.<\/p>\n<p>I remember when I first read \u2018The Code\u2019, it was Code X that caught my attention: \u201cI will use my strength to protect the weak and stand against the abuse of power\u201d. In fact, this Code has made it into my personal list of values to live by. So, the sixth principle I want to share with you is:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>I will use my strength to make the world a better place!<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As I have previously shared, I love the fact that Jesus taught his disciples to pray: \u201cYour Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.\u201d For me, this is one of the things that happens when the followers of Jesus use their strength to make the world a better place. We don\u2019t just get to pray these words, we actually get to be the answer to that prayer ourselves. We get to see God\u2019s Kingdom in lots of ways here on earth.<\/p>\n<p>How?<\/p>\n<p>Well, in my humble opinion, every time we choose to do the right thing, even when we are inconvenienced, we make the world a better place. Every time, we use our strength to help those in need, or to stop other people from abusing those in need, we make the world a better place. Every time we tell those around us about the love of God, and we introduce them to Jesus, we make the world a better place.<\/p>\n<p>What would it look like if every morning we were to wake up and the first thing we ask of God is <em>\u201c\u2026how can I use my strength to make the world a better place today\u201d?<\/em> How different would our lives look? How different would the lives of those around us look?<\/p>\n<p>I know a church leader who every night, before he cleans his teeth, asks God to show him any ways in which he has withheld love from his family. Most of the time he doesn\u2019t need to make amends, but on those occasions that he has withheld love from his family he is able to put it right before going to sleep. His family are a great bunch of people to hang out with and I believe it is because he uses his strength to make the world a better place for them.<\/p>\n<p>In each of the superhero movies that I have watched, whether it be Superman, Batman or Spiderman, the hero is far from perfect, but they all intentionally use their power for the good of others.<\/p>\n<p>If we are followers of Jesus, then we have the life of Christ within us. With that kind of DNA, can you imagine what good we can achieve in this world?<\/p>\n<p>The world needs us to relentlessly pursue God, to read His Word and live it out, to not let sin destroy us, to pray constantly, to live with passion and to use our strength to make the world a better place.<\/p>\n<p>Can you imagine what that will do in this world in which we all live?<\/p>\n<div class=\"linkwithin_hook\" id=\"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/offering-strength\/\"><\/div><script>\n<!-- \/\/LinkWithinCodeStart\nvar linkwithin_site_id = 897245;\nvar linkwithin_div_class = \"linkwithin_hook\";\n\/\/LinkWithinCodeEnd -->\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/widget.js\"><\/script>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.linkwithin.com\/pixel.png?w=750\" alt=\"Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...\" style=\"border: 0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of my favourite movie genres is the whole superhero thing. I just love the message that these movies tend to send out. One of my all-time favourite movie quotes is \u201c\u2026with great power comes great responsibility!\u201d I am probably never happier than settling down for an evening to watch \u2018Man of Steel\u2019 or the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<script>\n<!-- \/\/LinkWithinCodeStart\nvar linkwithin_site_id = 897245;\nvar linkwithin_div_class = \"linkwithin_hook\";\n\/\/LinkWithinCodeEnd -->\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/widget.js\"><\/script>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/\"><img src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/pixel.png\" alt=\"Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...\" style=\"border: 0\" \/><\/a>","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":8274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[562,1621,606,651,1502,1525],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/offering-e1570782252876.jpeg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7PoLK-29r","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3557,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/friends-of-cvm\/code-ode-6-an-always-all-wise-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":8273,"position":0},"title":"Code Ode 6 &#8211; An Always All-Wise God?","date":"9 January 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Read Hebrews ch 2 v 16-18. Recite this out loud: An always all-wise God- who knows? Who knows the stigma of a fool, Who\u2019s called a fool by fools but throws No insult back. A ruler making every rule? Who wants to rule with one; With love, gone on and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Friends of CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/friends-blog-640x360.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4448,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/friends-of-cvm\/code-ode-12-identity\/","url_meta":{"origin":8273,"position":1},"title":"Code Ode 12: Identity (continued)","date":"10 July 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Read this: Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten and everything is new. 2. Corinthians. 5, 17. (Code Bible). Reread Code 11. \u201cIdentity\u201d Recite this out loud: Our problem surely is ourselves. We seek meaning only from this World, Identity kept safe within ourselves.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Friends of CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/friends-blog-640x360.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2261,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/carls-thoughts\/violence-against-women\/","url_meta":{"origin":8273,"position":2},"title":"Violence Against Women","date":"10 February 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"During a weekend of speaking and conferencing in London, Dean (CVM Managing Director) and I were heading back on the Northern Line to our hotel, when Dean spotted a woman being forced aggressively against a wall by a man. Our train was in the station with the doors open. It\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Carl Beech&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1589,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/carls-thoughts\/real-men-aint-wimps\/","url_meta":{"origin":8273,"position":3},"title":"Real men ain&#8217;t wimps?","date":"15 July 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"(Originally published at carlbeech.com) Being the leader of the largest UK men\u2019s movement, I\u2019ve been asked more than a few times lately where we are with some of the teaching coming from the United States. I need to take serious time to start to put my thoughts down in a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Carl Beech&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":921,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/news\/the-pixel-project-mens-room\/","url_meta":{"origin":8273,"position":4},"title":"The Pixel Project &#8211; Men&#8217;s Room","date":"24 August 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"The Pixel Project are an online organisation (State-side) working hard to bring awareness to the cause to end Violence Against Women. For those of you already involved in this area, you'll know the horrifying statistics all too well. You'll be familiar with some of the cases. You'll know the scope\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8785,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/how-can-we-be-salt-and-light-in-a-world-that-needs-more-hope\/","url_meta":{"origin":8273,"position":5},"title":"How Can We Be Salt and Light in a World That Needs More Hope?","date":"18 March 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many years ago, I remember being asked \u201cwho are you when no-one is watching?\u201d It came as a bit of a challenge at the time because I could not say, hand on heart, that my private life quite lived up to my public life. There were never massive issues in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/dash.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8273"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8273"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8275,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8273\/revisions\/8275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}