Staying plugged in and connected to the source

We recently had to do a big clean of the rental we were living in - the final thing to finish prior to moving out.

In preparation for the big clean, I went around hunting for a vacuum cleaner to borrow. Not because we don't have one, but because our vacuum is battery-operated. Although it's convenient, lightweight, and very mobile, there is just one small problem.

The battery doesn't last long enough to vacuum the whole house.

So for the purposes of this particular clean, I knew we needed something different. So I borrowed one from a friend: one with a cord.

At first glance, there are a lot of disadvantages to a corded vacuum. I can't just wander wherever I wan to. I'm limited by the length of the cord. If I want to clean another room, I have to move the cord and plug it in somewhere else.

But it has a massive advantage over the battery-operated one in that it never runs out of juice.

As long as it is plugged into the power socket, it just keeps going.

I could vacuum for ten minutes, thirty minutes, an hour. I could move from room to room. I could stop and start again. I'm not limited to the battery because it is connected to the source of power.

It reminded me of my relationship with Jesus.

Sometimes I treat my relationship with Jesus like a battery-operated vacuum. I have my quiet time in the morning. I read my Bible. I pray. I journal. I feel encouraged and spiritually refreshed.

And then I close my Bible. Quiet time is over, and I get on with my day. Somehow, without even realizing it, I leave Jesus sitting there in my quiet time while I go off and try to live the rest of my day on the charge I received that morning.

It can work for a while. I can be patient. I can be productive. I can be kind. I can handle the interruptions and frustrations.

For a few hours, everything seems fine. But then my battery starts getting low. Someone irritates me. Something goes wrong. I get tired or overwhelmed and I lose my patience. And eventually I run out of juice.

The problem isn't that I didn't spend enough time with Jesus during my quiet time.

The problem is that I thought the purpose of my quiet time was to get enough of Jesus to last me through the day.

Jesus talks about a vine and its branches in John 15. He says:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

A branch doesn't have an independent power supply. It doesn't wake up in the morning, get a quick burst of nutrients from the vine, and then say, “Right, I'm good for the rest of the day.”

It has to remain connected. It has to abide.

The point isn't simply to have a morning appointment with Jesus. The point is to live the entire day connected to Him.

That doesn't mean I need to spend every waking moment reading my Bible or sitting in prayer. Life still has to be lived. There are dishes to wash, emails to answer, children to care for, work to do, people to deal with, and floors to vacuum.

But I can do all of those things while remaining connected to the Source. I can pray in the middle of the frustration. I can pause before responding. I can thank Him while I'm driving. I can ask for wisdom when I don't know what to do. I can turn my attention back to Him when my thoughts start spiralling. I can acknowledge that I need Him rather than assuming I've got enough strength of my own.

That's the difference between being battery-operated and being plugged in.

I'm learning that my morning quiet time isn't the point where I plug myself in, get charged up, and then disconnect. Rather, it's an invitation to remain connected and a reminder to stay connected. To abide.

Because eventually, if I try to live the Christian life on charge, I'm going to run out.

Here's to staying plugged in!