Plug into the Power Source
by John Berry
Many years ago a friend of mine, who was a computer expert, was called in to the offices of a large electricity supply company to help them with their computer system, which wouldn’t start up properly. After a short while investigating the problem, he discovered that someone had taken the plug out of the main supply socket, so there was no power to the system. It doesn’t say much for the efficiency of that power company!
I was reflecting on the fact that we often have problems in our lives and ask for prayer ministry, but sometimes our expectations are conditioned by looking for human solutions, instead of looking to the power source. We can be asking God to reveal His truth about the problem, but really we’ve already jumped to our own conclusions of how to deal with it. We think we know the best way to pray, and how God will answer.
In Matthew 6, Jesus is telling His hearers to have a Kingdom perspective on all things – to be plugged into His righteousness and viewpoint, rather than trust our own wisdom, no matter how experienced in the things of the Lord we might be.
It’s tempting to try to short-circuit the process and get to a solution, so we can move on to the next thing, rather than seeking the Kingdom solution, which may just be taking one step towards God’s ultimate healing in our lives. There needs to be the flow of power from the King which brings true healing and freedom, and that requires that we’re always plugged into God’s grace and Spirit.
I’m afraid I can be one of those who can jump to conclusions and I need to discipline myself to be constantly seeking the Kingdom way. Maybe we all need to check ourselves regularly to see if we’re operating in Kingdom power, or whether we’re relying on our own assessments of what our problems truly are.
I believe God wants to be allowed to flow with all His power through our lives, as we seek to deal with those issues which hold us back in our Christian growth. Let’s make sure we’re truly plugged in!
Prayer: Thank You, Father God, that You’ve made available to us the power of the Kingdom. Please forgive us when we try to operate in our own knowledge and strength, rather than relying on You. Teach us, we pray, to be constantly checking to ensure we haven’t become unplugged. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
John Berry entered the Baptist Ministry more than 40 years ago, and joined the Team at Ellel Glyndley Manor in 2007 with his wife Jennie. They have both now retired from the team but remain as part of the Teaching and Associate Ministry Teams at Glyndley. John and Jennie have seven Grandchildren.
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