Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest had a monumental task before them– lead the people of Israel to rebuild the temple.

If we were in their shoes, such a great task may cause us to break out in cold sweat.

How can I, someone so small and powerless, complete such a complex and difficult task?

How can I lead the people to overcome their weaknesses to put God first (Hag 1:2)?

How can I rebuild the temple while fending off the shrewd attacks of our enemies (Neh 4:7-8)?

But God is a compassionate God who knows our heart (Jer 17:10, Acts 1:24), and in Zechariah 4, He encourages all who are faced with a job that seems too great for them to handle.

I am Weak

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts. (Zech 4:6)

The vision in Zechariah 4 puts it plainly: relying on power and might will not allow the temple to be completed. It is only through relying on God’s Spirit that the temple may be rebuilt.

When we receive God’s calling to take on a bigger task in church, our instinctive reaction may be to worry whether we can live up to expectations.

We measure our power and might, concluding that we are lacking. We are neither great in society nor someone with great talents. On the contrary, we find ourselves full of shortcomings and lacking in gifts.

But He is Strong

That may be true, yet let us not overlook the fact that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise (1 Cor 1:27-28). Perhaps our lack of ability is precisely why He has called us to serve– that we may learn to rely on His Spirit!

Zech 4:7 shows the greatness of God’s Spirit. With His Spirit, even a great mountain is reduced to a measly plain. And by His Spirit, Zerubabbel will lay the capstone of the temple, signifying the completion of the work.

Oftentimes, we unknowingly rely on our own power and might rather than on God. It is seen most clearly when we become overly caught up with “practical” tasks such as organising more fellowship sessions, meeting up with lost sheep, going door-to-door to preach the word etc. Undeniably, these are good and helpful in building up the church.

But if we neglect to couple these actions with prayer, how can we say that we have entrusted this work into the hands of God? And if God is not working with us, there will not be any growth since it is He who gives growth (1 Cor 3:7).

Therefore, let us not reject or give up on church work because of our lack of power or might. Instead let us rely on God’s Spirit to make us strong when we are weak (2 Cor 12:9-10).