Plug in and Re-charge

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

At any given point throughout the day, I’m looking at a screen: cell phone, IPAD, PC, or TV. It can be exhausting. Last night, I was looking up something on my IPAD, and I realized I was down to almost no remaining battery. I picked up my phone, and I discovered that the charge on that too was almost out. I got alerts at 20%, then at 10%, finally at 5%. I ignored them, but I knew it was time to power down before the devices just turned off at some point. Technology is our way of life. It’s the way we communicate with one another. Our jobs and our very existence depend on our utilizing it. We’re always plugged in, but are we always plugged in to the right things?

After months of snatching my tablet or someone else’s, I bought my son a tablet of his own. He loves his tablet, and he listens to Johnny Johnny and learns about colors, numbers, and alphabets. However, we encounter a major problem when the battery runs out. He gets impatient, and even angry, when it’s time for the tablet to charge.

He hasn’t yet grasped the concept of being fully reloaded. After a minute or two on the plug, he rushes over to it and tries to disconnect it. Sometimes, he will wait for a half hour. He doesn’t understand that the less time the tablet is connected to the charger, the less juice it will have. It will not be that effective for long. Depending on the activities he wants to play with – it may go out again in a matter of minutes.

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Some of us may act like my son – becoming impatient and disconnecting too frequently and too soon. We ourselves need to be charged, but we don’t allow ourselves the proper time to do so effectively. We think we are the Energizer Bunny, and we keep going and going to our and sometimes others detriment. The more we give out, the more we need to be re-charged. If we are constantly interceding, standing in the gap, and ministering – the quicker the warning lights will come on. Sometimes, we ignore them. We may plug in for a little while, but we may be only up to 30% or 50%. However, we continue operating like we are at full capacity. What’s going to happen is we are going to shut down. When we are disconnected from our power source, we have no juice. We can do nothing. We become useless. It’s time to power down, so we can power up.

Let’s go to the well to be refreshed, replenished, and re-filled. We must eat right, stay hydrated, and disconnect from all forms of toxins. We must spend time in His presence through prayer, meditation, praise, the word, and worship, and we must rest in Him. Jeremiah 31:25 says: For I will refresh the weary soul and replenish all who are weak, and Matthew 11:28 urges us to Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.

In John 15:5-8, Jesus is talking to His disciples about the importance of being connected to Him. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Let's stay connected (occupy the place in Him and exist) to the True Power Source. Be blessed.

© 2018 by Antoinette V. Barber