Charged Batteries

"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:14-16

Have you ever thought of your life as if it were a charged battery? Did you ever go to use a flashlight that hadn't been used in a while and it didn't work? Perhaps you unscrewed the end to see what was the problem. Out poured a mess of corrosive batteries, covered in acid. What a mess!

As new believers in Christ, we start out with brand new batteries, just out of the package and ready for use. We have a lot to learn. Our light is burning brightly for all to see. I think of when my youngest son asked Jesus into his heart. He had such an excitement, even though he was only five years old at the time. Each person he met he asked unashamedly, "Do you know Jesus?" If they responded negatively, he would say, "Well, you should." He unabashedly shared his new-found faith.

Or perhaps your faith is like a used battery, that has been around for a while. You have been a Christian for quite some time. Your light still blazes a steady stream, but isn't quite as bright as it used to be. My oldest son has a flashlight with 2 million candlelight of power. It shines a brilliant blast of light, but as the batteries become more used, it doesn't shine quite as brightly. 

Then you have the corroded batteries, where you try to do things on your own strength. You don't plug into the source, and if any light shines, it's just a very dim beam - not strong enough to be of any value. You don't have time to read your Bible, pray, or attend church. Your life is too busy.

What is the status of your batteries today? Are they fully charged? Even if you have been a Christian for a long time, you still can have fully charged batteries that brightly spotlights the world around you. We become fully charged by completely relying on the Lord and His love for us. When we spend time with the Master, we can go forward and illuminate the path for others to see.