Are You Charged Up?

     One of the gifts my Dad received for Christmas was a rechargeable spotlight/flashlight.  It was something he had hinted at, so he was quite happy with his gift.  Most guys love new gadgets of just about any kind.  As Dad and my brothers examined the particular features of the flashlight someone said, “I wonder if it already has a charge.”  Naturally there was only one way to know, so they all trekked outside and tried it out.  It so happened the battery was indeed already charged up.  Dad was pleased his spotlight came ready to be used immediately.

     Spiritually speaking, can we say the same thing about ourselves?  When we come to the Father are we ready to be used for His glory?  Christ is our Savior and our Mediator.  Imagine God asking His Son, Jesus as He entreats the Father for us … “Is she ready to be put to use?”  What a humbling prospect!  Are we ready?  Am I ready?  Jesus knows our hearts.  What would He say?

      Are we truly ready to worship Him when we attend the assembly with our local church family?  We should come fully prepared to focus on Christ and God.  When we sing praises to the Father those words of love and adoration should come from deep within our hearts.  With each prayer we hear, our focus should only be directed to the Father.  When the lesson from God’s Word is presented we should desire to truly understand God’s message for us.  Our hearts and minds – our whole being should be “used” in worship. 

     What about other times in our lives?  Do we stay charged up and allow ourselves to be used every day?  Do we only use prayer as a crutch to get us through tough times, and then when the storm is over forget to honor Him through our service?  Christ died to save us from our sins.  We should always strive to live for Him – through all our times, whether good or bad. 

      In my dad’s hands, that spotlight is under his control.  How many times do we actually put ourselves into the Father’s hands and allow Him to take control?  Many of us live very faithful lives and dedicate ourselves to His service.  But I know I could do so much better. 

      As a newly baptized Christians, we come to the Savior with a sense of commitment and enthusiasm.  Usually, we are excited and charged up.  We are so happy to know that our sins have been washed away and we are new creatures in Him!  We get a brand new lease on life.  We are thrilled at the prospect of living for Him. 

      Ah, but then everyday life sets in on us again.  The world around us has not changed.  We still must go to work or school.  We still have responsibilities … things to do, people to see, places to go.  We are still tied to the world, and it is difficult to resist the temptations of it.  The new wears off and suddenly we find ourselves too busy for the work of the Lord.  For instance, it’s been quite some time since I posted on this site.  I don’t want to dwell on that; I’m just using it as an example. 

      Perhaps we begin to make excuses about attending Bible study on Wednesday night.  We might tell ourselves that we’re too busy or too tired to help cook a meal, teach a class at VBS, send a card, check on a member who is shut-in ….. I could go on and on, but you get the point.  We lose our “charge.” We aren’t ready to be used anymore. 

      I’ll share another illustration.  A couple of days after Christmas, it was time for my son to return to his home in Nashville.  But when he got into his vehicle to leave, it wouldn’t start.  He lifted the hood and he and my husband discovered the problem.  One of the battery cables was loose.  His car wouldn’t start because the connection to the power source was weak.  It wasn’t “wired in,” so to speak.  After tightening the connection, he made it safely home.

        In order to be ready to serve – to be ready to let our light shine – we must stay connected to our power source.  We have to be “wired in” to the Savior.  If we don’t do this, our batteries will not hold their charge.  We can keep our thoughts aligned with the Savior’s when we study God’s word.  We have to stay in touch with Him or we might become discouraged or get so bogged down in our busy-ness that our light dims. 

        We know what to do to stay connected and keep that charge.  However, I have to be reminded often.   We come so much closer to God when we engulf ourselves in His word.  It is “quick and powerful.”  God never changes.  His word never changes.  As we go through our lives – that alone becomes such a comfort.  How wonderful it is to know that regardless of what happens, no matter how topsy-turvy this old world gets, God is always the same.  And He is always there for us when we turn to Him. 

        Prayer is a vital part of staying connected to our Savior and to the Heavenly Father.  Spending time in earnest conversation with God will tighten our connection to Him.  It will increase our faith in our power source.  Our love for God will grow as we pour our hearts out to Him.  As our love grows, so will our desire to serve.  We become more and more willing to put ourselves into His hands, under His control, so we can do His work.  

        Our faithful Christian friends can also help us keep our charge.  There truly is strength in numbers.  Being around others who are strongly connected to the Lord strengthens our connection too.  We get charged up when we are with Christians who are ready to be put to use for the Savior.  Enthusiasm is contagious and encouragement builds us up.  
     Christ did not mean for us to face this world alone – that is why He built the church.  We can support and encourage each other.  Enjoying fellowship with one another gives us the strength we need to face the world.  It tightens our connection to our power source, which is God.  It helps to prepare us for use in His service. 

        Let’s put ourselves in the hands of Jesus, our Lord and Master.  Get charged up and be ready to be used.  Tighten your connection to the power of the Living God, because with Him ALL things are possible – only then we will make it safely home …

Christ above all things,

Robin