We all know that technology
is such a blessing, although yes it can be (and sometimes is) a curse. But honestly, how amazing is it to have a supercomputer right in your pocket? If you want to know the weather for this weekend or what’s going on, you don’t have to wait until the 5 o’clock news, it is right at your fingertips. An amazing discovery that I had last year while I was taking notes on my iPad is that it can even convert my handwriting to typed text! 🤯 I can bring my iPad anywhere and take notes on anything and everything. And best of all, no more flipping through page after page on a legal pad trying to find the notes from three weeks ago.
Occasionally, however, I forget to charge my iPad and as I am getting ready for a meeting panic sets in. I’ll plug it in for those last few minutes, hoping to get enough juice to last the meeting. But if I don’t connect the iPad to the power source, well, it becomes an expensive paper weight. Without any power it loses its value to me. Sure, it looks cool, I have a nice case for it that I can place my paper notes in, I guess I could even throw it at someone in self-defense if I needed to. But the fact remains that without power it cannot fulfill its intended purpose.
You know that is the same with each of us. Without being connected to the power source of our Savior, we can make a lot of noise and do a lot of stuff, but we can do nothing toward our intended purpose.
John 15:4-8 says,
“4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Did you catch what is said in verse six? Anyone who does not abide in Christ is thrown away and burned. At my house we have these vines that grow around in the wooded areas, and my wife swears that this vine is from Satan himself. If left untouched these vines will grow up around the trees and choke them out. These vines are thorny and almost impossible to dig up or to kill. She spent weeks last year cutting and pulling at these vines to get rid of them to make that area look nice and keep our trees safe. But guess what? They’re back. Now we are going to have to spend several days each spring cutting these vines down as far as we can to keep them from choking out the healthy trees and plants.
That is exactly what happens in our lives when we do not connect with the everlasting source of good, mercy, power, and love. We become a detriment to the community around us. Sure, we can make it look like we are doing a lot, but the truth is we are adding nothing of eternal value. But on the other hand, when you plug into Christ though obedience, through prayer, through time in His word, through connecting with His body of believers; you are glorifying the Father and become a blessing to the community around you.
So, the question we all must answer for ourselves is, are you going to plug in to the only power source that has real power—power to save you and change you for eternity?
I’m in. Are you?
Pastor Jason