Plugged In

 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

– 2 Corinthians 12:9

If the number-crunchers are right, 2021’s holiday retail sales figures exceeded expectations — even against the backdrop of a questionable economy and COVID-19. In fact, preliminary data from MasterCard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment, reveals that retail sales climbed 8.5% over last year for the period spanning November 1 to December 24, and online sales jumped 11%.

One thing for sure is that many of those purchases were for high-tech devices such as smart phones, digital assistants (like Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa) and ultra-high-definition TVs. And it’s also likely that many of the gift-getters didn’t wait to use their expensive new toys. But then, the inevitable happened: They opened the boxes, and everything looked ready. And after some tinkering and a bit of giddy anticipation, they pushed the gadget’s ON button. Then ... nothing.

So what happened?

They thought they’d covered the bases. And after frantically skimming the instructions manual for the fourth time, they called the manufacturer’s customer service line. Then after 10 minutes on-hold, it finally dawned on them: There was no power because they forgot to insert a battery or plug in the device.

In some ways this is an apt illustration of our spiritual lives. How many times have we tried to deal with a seemingly impossible situation or gigantic challenge, only to look back and recall that we forgot to ask for God’s power? Jesus illustrates this principle though the vital relationship between a vine (Him) and its branches (His followers):

“Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me,” he explains. “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.”

The problem is that we tend to convince ourselves that we don’t need anyone’s help. Everything is OK, we say. All is right with the world. And we’re just fine living as a Lone Ranger Christian.

But we know these words are false as soon as they pass our lips. Rather than branching out alone and trying to be our own vine, we must stay connected to our Creator and acknowledge our own weaknesses. What's more, he knew that no one could do life on their own, which is one reason that Christ founded the Church — that worldwide group of Believers who proclaim Him as their Lord and Savior. 

In addition to being there for each other, Christ-followers were made to experience life together. And it’s together that we’re in the perfect position to plug in and let God’s power flow through us.