A Pastoral Word. . . Power Source
Pastor Kevin Freeman
July 18, 2024
As an increasing number of electronic gadgets proliferate our world, we have learned to prize portable power. If you have ever been on a long trip while your phone is low on power, you know how important power can be. I have a small power supply unit that I have taken on camping trips with my family. It has some normal power plugs and can charge a phone or power an air mattress inflator, but its battery drains quickly if an appliance that draws significant power is plugged into it. At last year’s Trunk or Treat event, I thought this battery source would be able to power a heat lamp. I was wrong. The battery was drained in just a few minutes.
We can be much like that power supply, attempting to handle the responsibilities of life through our power alone. The problem is that we are not up to the task. The physical drain of exhaustion that we experience is familiar, but I am getting at the spiritual power we need to daily live for Christ.
Jesus relied on the Father heavily during His earthly ministry. Though He was God in flesh, He did not rely on His own strength. Instead, He prioritized time in prayer. One morning, following a day of significant ministry, Jesus spent extra time with the Lord, rising well before the sun rose. Mark 1:34 states, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” The subsequent verses reveal that Jesus received direction from the Father during His prayer time; He knew what to do and where to go next.
Christians would do well to imitate the principle that Jesus modeled. His time spent with the Father was not a rote exercise but a focused effort. After a draining day, Jesus expended additional physical energy so that He could gain spiritual nourishment. How much more must His followers do the same?
We could easily find ourselves guilty of the opposite. The more time we spend serving God or family, the less time we spend in prayer. “God understands,” we may rationalize, “for I am serving Him so much right now.” But the principle of the power supply should remind us: a greater draw on our energies requires greater recharging with the Lord. We are ineffective on an empty charge.
Are you taking time to charge your spiritual batteries? Relying on God’s power by spending daily time with Him is the only way to ensure that you rely on His energy and not your own.
Your partner in ministry,
Kevin Freeman
We can be much like that power supply, attempting to handle the responsibilities of life through our power alone. The problem is that we are not up to the task. The physical drain of exhaustion that we experience is familiar, but I am getting at the spiritual power we need to daily live for Christ.
Jesus relied on the Father heavily during His earthly ministry. Though He was God in flesh, He did not rely on His own strength. Instead, He prioritized time in prayer. One morning, following a day of significant ministry, Jesus spent extra time with the Lord, rising well before the sun rose. Mark 1:34 states, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” The subsequent verses reveal that Jesus received direction from the Father during His prayer time; He knew what to do and where to go next.
Christians would do well to imitate the principle that Jesus modeled. His time spent with the Father was not a rote exercise but a focused effort. After a draining day, Jesus expended additional physical energy so that He could gain spiritual nourishment. How much more must His followers do the same?
We could easily find ourselves guilty of the opposite. The more time we spend serving God or family, the less time we spend in prayer. “God understands,” we may rationalize, “for I am serving Him so much right now.” But the principle of the power supply should remind us: a greater draw on our energies requires greater recharging with the Lord. We are ineffective on an empty charge.
Are you taking time to charge your spiritual batteries? Relying on God’s power by spending daily time with Him is the only way to ensure that you rely on His energy and not your own.
Your partner in ministry,
Kevin Freeman
Posted in A Pastoral Word
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