2003-05-09 - Charge It

A few weeks ago, I started to call my boss on my cell phone, but it kept going off. Then I realized my battery was dead. The phone was not very practical to me, if it had no charge in it. So I brought it home, plugged it into the charger and the next day, it was "Good as new."

Aren't our spiritual lives like that? Do you sometimes find yourself feeling emotionally or spiritually tired, growing impatient with people or problems, wavering in faith (and this is normal-most Christians do at some time), succumbing to temptation more easily? When those things happen, we have lost some (or all) of our "charge." In order to keep our spiritual lives charged, we need to "plug into" God's gifts to us.

We need to pray daily, ideally throughout the day.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (Msg) Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time.

During a given day, what is your first response when you have a concern, a fear, hear about someone who is having difficulty etc.? Our first line of defense should be prayer. It should be as natural as breathing. Constant communication (and that includes listening) with our Father helps to recharge us.

We need to lean on our Christian brothers and sisters. God gave us Christian friendships, so that we can encourage and strengthen each other. Worshipping together, bouncing ideas off each other and learning together provide building blocks for our faith.

Colossians 3:16 (NASB) Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 (MSG) Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs.

And we need to rest, even those of us whom God has made "Type As." We accomplish a lot, but we will not really fulfill God's will if we don't take care of ourselves, too. Even though we who are under the New Covenant are not held to the restrictions of the ancient Jewish people (as far as observing days, the exacting rules etc.), God's gift of a regular rest for us, is one we should take advantage of. We need to rest physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Exodus 16:29-30 (NASB) "See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day.

Sometimes we need more than one day of rest; a week or even longer may be needed. If we come back to our lives with a replenished spirit, the Sabbath or vacation have fulfilled God's purpose for them.

I encourage you (as I do myself) to make sure your spiritual batteries stay charged.

Jan

 jan@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org