4.15.2026 - Jody Duncan

April 15, 2026

This week's devotions are written by Jody Duncan.

The Power of God

1 Corinthians 4:20

As you enter your time with God today, take a moment to quiet your mind. Breathe this prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus, come. Fill me with your Spirit. Open my heart that you might share your words of life with me today.”

We read today from 1 Corinthians 4:20. Read the short verse now or at the end of this devotion. What does it teach us about the true meaning of power within the kingdom of God?

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of those who have become big talkers, arrogant in their relationship to Christ. Paul reminds them that in the kingdom of God talk is cheap, and it is only power that matters.

The word ‘power’ has negative connotations in some contexts. Someone is on a ‘power trip’ we hear, or this political party is interested only in raw power. It implies force, punishment, or what Paul refers to as the ‘rod of discipline.’

But in the kingdom of God, Paul suggests, power is love expressed through a gentle spirit. What a remarkable, unprecedented idea! After thousands of years of humanity accruing power through brutality, through bigger armies and better weaponry, here was a representative of the King of Man stating that love was the only true power, the only power that mattered.

Any of you who have daughters may have run into the ‘mean girls’ phenomenon as they navigated middle and high school. At some point during those years, girls may group together to turn on one girl. They may cease talking to her. They may spread rumors about her. They might exclude her in social gatherings. It is, indeed, mean, and it can be devastating to the targeted girl.

My daughter experienced brief and mild versions of this type of shunning once or twice in her school years. I gave her the same advice both times: ‘Kill ‘em with kindness.’ My advice, I must admit, wasn’t entirely coming from a place of Christian love. There was strategy in it, as well. I’d found that meeting hatefulness with love and kindness was a great way to derail the aggressor. Love was such an unexpected response to their hate, they didn’t quite know what to do! “You mean my turning my back to you or calling you a name isn’t going to make you mad or make you cry? Now what do I do?”

Strategy aside, meeting hate with love is the right thing to do. It is the Christ-like thing to do. It is the powerful thing to do.

But as this Bible verse reminds us, saying loving words isn’t enough. We must act with love, not just talk about it.

What loving actions will you perform for your friends today? What loving actions will you perform for your family members today? What loving actions will you perform for strangers today?

Here’s the trickiest question of all: What loving actions will you perform for your enemies today? Do it – and in doing so, know the true power of God.