Plugging Into Jesus, the Source of Power

What improvements are you determined to work at this year? As 2014 approaches, many of us want to wipe our 2013 slates clean and begin anew. There’s something about a “New Year” that gives us new hope and energizes us to do better.

As I reflect on 2014 resolutions, not only do I want to continue to strive to live in An Audience of One, but I want to purposefully plug into Jesus, the source of power. Too often I strive to “do” instead of to “be” in Jesus. I recently read a story of a lightbulb who had to find a way to shine:

The lightbulb went to a conference to learn about its inner capacity for light. It read books about how to brighten someone’s day. Each morning the lightbulb would get up and recite positive affirmations. “I am a lightbulb. I believe in myself. I will shine!” But nothing happened. Eventually the lightbulb became weary and discouraged. It began to doubt who it was and what it could do. It almost burned out completely. Fortunately, one day the lightbulb was carefully place in a fixture. Light burst forth from it and filled the room. The lightbulb finally understood that the key was not to try harder, but to plug into the source. (God’s Heart for You: Embracing Your True Worth as a Woman, p. 98, by Holley Gerth)

If we keep working at making ourselves shine for others, we’ll keep getting weary and discouraged. But if we plug into Him Who is the source of power, we will automatically shine for Him.

If we keep trying to fill the empty spaces in our hearts ourselves, our hearts will be like leaky sieves. But if we open our hearts to Jesus’ love, we will be fulfilled and satisfied.

If we keep trying to fix or make sense of the tangled threads of our lives, we will only tie ourselves up in knots and become disoriented. But if we align our compass towards Christ, someday we will see how every tangled thread served a greater purpose, pointed us towards a better direction, and produced an exquisite design.

Plug into Jesus, fill up with Jesus, and align our compass towards Jesus. Then with renewed hope, we will be able to start with a clean slate and all other perplexities in life will become more clear.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)