To have the abundant life God promises, you need to stay connected to your power source
During a storm in St. Louis a while back, my husband, Dave, and I lost our power for 12 hours. It reminded me that when the power is out, it’s hard to see where you’re going, and nothing that you plug in will work. You quickly find that you can’t accomplish much of anything without it. And life just feels like a big mess.
That’s exactly what our everyday life is like when we’re not plugged in to the power of God. God wants us to stay joyful and have victory in the midst of everyday life because the world needs to see His power working through believers like you and me. That can happen if you know how to access His power and stay plugged in.
The truth is, there has never been a power outage in heaven. God has all the power we need to do anything He asks us to do. The only time you won’t get His power is if you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing or if you’re unplugged from your power source.
What Does It Mean to Be Unplugged?
Unfortunately, there are many miserable Christians out there who aren’t making a very good impression on the world, and it’s because they’re unplugged. They’re struggling to fix their problems themselves instead of plugging in to God’s power supply.
If there’s anything we need to learn how to access, it’s the grace of God. Grace is often defined as God’s undeserved favor, but I’ve found it’s also the power of the Holy Spirit coming to you freely, enabling you to do with ease what you could never do on your own.
If you’re in a tough marriage, God can give you the power to have joy in the midst of it. If you’re waiting for something or someone to change, God can give you the power to have joy and be fruitful in the waiting. There will be an effort you make, but it’s not in doing—it’s in believing. To stay plugged in, I encourage you to do two things: consistently ask God for His help, and study the Word in areas where you need help believing.
Four Ways to Blow a Fuse
Mark 11:22-23 tells us that if we have faith in God, whatever we pray in faith will be done for us. However, the Word doesn’t tell us when it will be done.Between the time we pray and the time we receive the manifestation of our prayers, there is usually a period of waiting. It’s during those waiting times that we have to be careful not to “blow a fuse” or interrupt the flow of God’s power into our life. How can we do this? Here are four of the most common ways we can blow a spiritual fuse:
- Unforgiveness. God forgives us, and He asks us to do the same for others. We can increase our power in the Spirit by obeying His command to forgive.
- Complaining. Instead of focusing on the negative, we can magnify all the wonderful things God does for us. Increase your power supply by maintaining a thankful spirit.
- Self-pity. God told me a long time ago, “Joyce, you can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you can’t be both.” When you’re stuck in self-pity, I encourage you to spend time in the Word getting your mind renewed.
- Taking the credit.Ever tried to take the credit for what God has done in your life? Nebuchadnezzar tried it (see Dan. 4), and it didn’t work out too well for him. It won’t work out for us, either. Protect God’s power in your life by giving credit where it’s due.
God gives us all the power we need to handle any situation and keep a good attitude (see James 4:6). In fact, you can get through any storm in life and enjoy yourself if you simply stay plugged in.
When you’re at a point in your life where it feels like the pressure is mounting and God isn’t coming through, the more likely explanation is that you’ve simply unplugged. Instead of letting your frustration build, check your connection. There’s no situation you can’t handle when your power is coming from Him.
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored nearly 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Change Your Words, Change Your Life. She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org. To read past columns in Charisma by Joyce, visit charismamag.com/meyer.
