Power Source…

I have a Samsung Galaxy 6 edge that I got two years ago. The original charger has since died and gone on to charger heaven, where all good chargers go to rest. In order to charge my phone, I use the base of the original charger and the cord of a wireless charger that never worked quite well. But of course, my charging method is only about 70% effective. Depending on how I connect my phone to the charger and the charger to the power strip, the phone may charge well (but not as fast as the original charger) or it may stay at the same percentage for hours. In either case, it just takes way too long to charge my phone because I am not using the fast charging option that is available for my phone. And since you asked, I could have purchased the correct charger for the phone, but it’s expensive and I’m cheap. So cheap cell phone charger it is! But you know what? A cheap charger essentially means a faulty power source because nothing works as it should.

Cheaper never means better…

While my cheaper charger saved me some bucks at first, it has turned out to be the more expensive option. It has cost me time because I wait so much longer to charge my phone (longer than the original charger would take). It has cost me money because the cheaper chargers die faster and replacements are always needed. Trust me when I say this- cheaper does not mean better!

I think back to last night as I was reading scripture from my cell phone as it was connected to my charger. I glanced up and saw that I had 8% battery life. I read a few verses more and noticed again that the battery life had not increased. As I looked at the phone, I literally thought “faulty power source, Michelle.” How could I expect my phone to charge properly if it was not connected to the proper source?

Likewise, how can I expect my life to “charge” properly if I am not connected to the proper source?

The wrong source…

When I found myself unemployed almost two weeks ago, I made all these plans of how I would continue to be mentally and socially active so that depression would not creep in. I know me. I knew that if I didn’t actively fight against it, the enemy and depression would slowly creep in and destroy me. Although I’m not sad (or any of the other depression markers), boredom causes my mind to drift and focus on worries…that should be all sent to God. But still, I found myself sitting at home every day, binge watching shows, and wondering when my change was coming.

I did not realize that the act of binge watching was causing me to lose the fire that God had placed in my heart. Instead of incessantly praying and seeking God, I was carving more and more time for television and merely squeezing in time for God. It’s no wonder that the writing slowed down and it felt like my relationship was shifting- I had the wrong power source. I literally did not have enough “power” to do what intstructed me to do. I was watching shows laden with profanity and violence, expecting them to help me write passages about God. Yeah, not gonna happen!

Reading the Bible and conversing with God allows us to fill ourselves with Him and His way. Once we are filled with Him, He will spill out and be in all that we do. But if we fill up on the world and its offerings, we cannot spill out God. This is not said to be judgmental or anything of the sort, but the Lord Himself says that “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24). We have to choose, daily, whether we will serve God or serve another. Everyday is literally a new beginning and choice- will it be God or will it be another power source.

The right source…

This healing journey has not been easy, nor do I expect it to ever be easy. In fact, I fully expect that it will only get harder as time passes on. But it will be well worth it. I am realizing that connecting with God may give me writing topics but more importantly, it fuels my life.

God is not only the center of my joy, but He is literally the strength of my life. When I am connected to Him, I can fully believe that there is no limit to what He can do. I don’t remember if I’ve said it before but please hear it now- faith in God is the most important tool in achieving healing through God. We literally cannot heal until we put our faith and trust in a Him completely. He is the source of our strength. Remember that. Cherish that.

Reflection…

I don’t know if this post relates to you and your current life. But at some point in our lives, we have all tried to get our strength from some source other than God. It’s time to stop that. God created us and knew us before we were even in our mother’s womb. Reach out to Him. Trust Him. He is ready and able to fill you up completely, for He is the true source of power.

Be blessed.