On a recent Monday morning I awoke, excited about the prospects for the week. Jumping out of bed at an early hour, I had plenty of time to take a long, hot shower and to dress, pray, study, eat breakfast and get to the office. It was going to be a great week!
However, things went downhill quickly. Turning on the shower, I expected our brand-new, high-technology, instant hot water heater to produce all it had promised. Instead, all I got was cold water that got even colder as my patience turned quickly to impatience. Something was definitely wrong.
Throwing on some clothes, I headed down the stairs, into the garage and straight to that shiny new instant hot water heater. It was plugged in, but its lights weren’t on. As I investigated further, I found there was no power to the outlet. No power — no hot water.
Our brand-new, high-technology, instant hot water heater failed to produce what it was created for because it had no power. The greatest technologies or the best intentions don’t amount to much without power.
My Monday morning experience was a good reminder that, even with a good attitude, willingness and the best of intentions, I will fail to be what God created me to be, if there is no power.
How’s your spiritual power connection today?
There is spiritual power in the name of Jesus, in the blood of Jesus and in the faith of Jesus. With Jesus, all things are possible, and without Him we have no power to live a victorious life. The Apostle Paul challenged us to daily put on Jesus, to walk with Jesus and to live in Jesus. As we focus our eyes on Jesus, we will become like Him. There is spiritual power to become what we were created to be when we are plugged into the power of Jesus.
One of our North Pacific Union Conference strategic priorities for 2018 is “Unity in Christ.” Unity in God’s church is dependent upon the members being plugged into Jesus. “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin ” (1 John 1:7). Jesus is the light of the world, the express image of God. No Jesus, no light. No Jesus, no unity in the church. No Jesus, no power.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). We may not all ever agree on every church policy or nuance of every Scripture, but if we are plugged into Jesus we are empowered to love one another.
Scripture even describes what love to one another looks like in real life: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; hears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:4–8).
Plug into Jesus every day. Unlike my hot water heater, His power never fails. You will receive power to live a life that reveals God to the world and becomes a catalyst for unity in the church.
