My cell phone has me thinking.
I found it lying abandoned on the kitchen counter, unplugged from the one thing — the only thing — that can reinvigorate it to do the work it was designed to do. Ironically, it was near an outlet, but since it wasn’t connected, its battery quietly dwindled until it was entirely depleted and functionally dead.
Stating the obvious, if I want to bring it back to life, if I want it to work, I have no other recourse but to plug it into a power source and give it time to recharge.
Our minds and spirits need intentional rest and recharging, too. It’s ridiculously effortless to go from dawn til dusk on the energy and momentum generated by otherwise worthwhile pursuits: nurturing friendships, completing projects, crossing-off lists, traveling, completing education, improving health, achieving financial stability. It’s like eating Twinkies over the sink on our way out the door. What we need is to park at the table with a hot meal and a trusted friend. Unless we confront our default mode of self-sufficiency, name it for the dead-end it is, and return to sanity via unhurried, undistracted time spent with God and his Word, we will spend our whole lives undernourished, running on fumes. I’m preaching to myself here. You are welcome to listen in.
My computer has warned me from time to time:
“You are now running on reserve battery power.
You need to plug the power adapter into your computer and into an outlet.
If you don’t, your computer will go to sleep in a few minutes to preserve its memory contents.”
We don’t need to live depleted. Whenever we realize we have — once again — drifted into exactly that, we can — once again — choose to yank our reliance on the temporary and plug instead into the timeless, life-giving truth of God’s Word, and into conversation with the Giver of all those good gifts.
Charge.
I’ve heard my dad pray all my life, and have seen him wear out his fair share of Bibles. Once I heard him observe, “What a wonderful Book! I’ve been reading it for 70 years and it’s still so good.”
Today is as good a day as any to know this for ourselves and be replenished for what lies ahead. And it’s free for the taking.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
Psalm 19:7
Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
I Chronicles 16:11
Charge.
