A Lesson from a Toothbrush
by David Silvester
The electric toothbrush was losing its power, and seemed to be tired and not very effective, but had not exhausted its power, so it was put on to its battery charger. Within a few days it was in the same condition lacking power and unable to do what it was meant to do effectively. The thought in mind was that it must be past its useful life and should be discarded.
Then, deciding to leave the powerless toothbrush running until its power was exhausted, it was put back on to its charger for another try. The next time it was used it was like a brand new item, it had a sustained power and effectiveness, and was able to do its job properly.
The picture this proved to be was, when we try to do Gods work in our own strength – we are ineffective and lack the power and dynamic of the Holy Spirit. Yet when we come to the point where we recognise that we are at the end of ourselves, and are completely cast upon the Lord to revitalise and sustain us, things become so different.
It’s when we’re empty of all the baggage that is of ourselves, and we look to the Lord to equip us and enable us to reach out to others in His Name, that He’s able to empower us with His Holy Spirit to do the kind of things Jesus did. Jesus sent His disciples out to ‘heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy and drive out demons’. These are the very things He sends us, His disciples, to do as we preach the message of the Kingdom (Matthew 10:7–8).
It is a matter of ‘abiding in Him’ and remaining in the right condition for God to take and use any one of us to do the things Jesus and the early Church did. But as Jesus said, ‘apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5). It is both a matter of privilege and responsibility to be available, and used by God, to bring His blessing to others. The responsibility is ours to remain in such a condition that He can use us.
Prayer: O Lord God, thank You that You’ve called me to serve You. Thank You that You give the Holy Spirit to empower and enable me to bring Your blessing to others. Please show me, and help me to recognise where I get in the way, and help me to be empty of all of self and full with Your Holy Spirit I pray, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
David Silvester is married and has a son, two daughters and eight grandchildren. He trained as a production engineer. He then moved on to become a lecturer of engineering craft skills before being called of God in his early fifties to become a pastor of a Baptist church. He says that,"having previously experienced an amazing healing on a day others expected me to die, it came as no surprise that God directed me and my wife, Margaret, to become involved with Ellel Ministries."
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