Power Source

One of the scriptures I read this morning was John 8:31 If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. I love that scripture. I want nothing more than to be His disciple here on earth before walking the streets alongside Him in heaven.

Sometimes I feel more like a disciple than others. When I focus on reading and studying the word, I ‘feel’ the connection more. It’s like the power cord that supplies me from The Source. When I pull away, however unintentional that may be, I feel the power draining from me.

I’ve had a problem with the mouse on my laptop computer the last few days. The cursor on the screen was getting temperamental, and then would not budge at all. The batteries in it needed to be replaced and I didn’t have any that size on hand. I barely got the blog out yesterday and this morning was impossible before, in my desperation, I tried a different semi-worn out battery from my camera. I can move the cursor now but I know it has two weak links to the source of energy it needs. Some days, I feel like those two batteries - iffy, at best.

Why is it we vacillate like that? It’s not as if we are AC/DC powered. Nope, it is DC all the way. When we are not plugged in mentally, spiritually and physically to our Power Source we are running the risk of being on empty before we are aware. Our gas tanks have indicators on our vehicles, and like my little mouse, batteries on tool and equipment run out without much notice. How is it we understand that and watch for it but sometimes ignore the warning signs we are spiritually running low from lack of connection to our Source?

Here are some of the warning signs that sneak up on us if we are not careful.

1. We become increasingly susceptible and/or sensitive to outside interference from the world. If we aren’t keeping our eyes on the Lord, we start allowing the situations of the world to affect us.

2. We become more and more self-oriented. We tend to pay more attention to the things we want, we need, we think, we feel over His will for us. Sometimes we even ignore His Will altogether in our pursuit to meet our own needs.

3. Our prayers start to be put off for a more convenient time or slide into oblivion. An accurate judge of your spiritual walk is the state of your prayer life. There’s your indicator, right there!

4. Withdrawal from normal communications with people we know will notice our sagging ‘faith light.’ We tend to avoid those closest to us because we know they will pick up on our dimming spiritual light. For example, I was going through a tough time recently and my husband asked if I had talked to one of my best friends. I replied that I had not because she would know there was something wrong with me and I was not ready to deal with it yet. It’s true; she would have picked up on my low power level in nano-seconds and questioned me about it out of concern. I knew better than to talk to her if I was not prepared to address it.

These are signs on my life when I’m running on low power and I bet they are universal in the Christian community. Pitiful attempts at self sourcing, somewhat like my worn out double AA battery I swiped form the camera, are just temporary band-aids that cannot power us sufficiently. We need to be plugged into the one and only source of real power, our Lord.

Lord, May our love for You increase. May our desire for Your word grow into a bright and shining light for others to find their way to You! Amen.