“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Recently, I came home to find our neighborhood in darkness.

The lights didn’t light.

The clock forgot what time it was.

The refrigerator was eerily silent. When I come home it’s usually yelling, “Hey, Ani, I got a big slice of cake in here I know you need to eat!”

The radio wouldn’t jabber.

The TV had no good news or bad news or same news to impart.

The computer went from real slow to real dead.

And the microwave wouldn’t wave.

It was an old-fashioned Southern California Edison power outage.

Was it a downed line? A blown transformer? A worn switch? A bad thingamajig?

Whatever it was, something along the “power chain” was no longer plugged into the “power source.”

Electricity, like anything important in life that we depend on, is only as good as its weakest link.

Christians are the same way. We wholly depend on Jesus, yet we suffer spiritual power outages from time to time.

Our spiritual life is only as good as our “weakest link” in our relationship to Jesus. We try not to have a weak link in our walk with the Lord, of course, but it happens. We are human.

Our weakest link could be envy, or greed, or strife. Perhaps it’s lust or pride or anger. (Read up on anger in Christian Anger Management).

Struggling With Sin Will Knock Your Spiritual Lights Out.

Often our weak link is worry, be it a job, money or a relationship. God tells us to be anxious for nothing, but how many of us really plug into this advice from a loving Father?

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,  with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)

It’s been noted that true fellowship with Jesus makes your joy complete.

Perhaps your spiritual power outage hit because you are not joyful, that  your fellowship with Christ isn’t what it should be.

“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:10-11)

Spiritual power outages may be sudden, or may occur over time. They may last 5 minutes … or a lifetime.  Tweet

Do You Know All the Causes of Spiritual Outages?

Your once excitable, “Praise the Lord,” for Jesus is now reserved for when you have a $20 off coupon at Kohl’s and you ACTUALLY find something to buy with it.

Sometimes our outage is caused by a major calamity and we blame God.

Sometimes it’s as simple as taking God for granted.

Sometimes it’s getting pulled out of your safe comfort zone.

Sometimes it’s getting involved with a boyfriend or girlfriend who is not a Christian (and, yes, you know it makes a huge difference in your walk with the Lord, no matter how many ways you rationalize it).

Sometimes it’s laziness, like the morning you get up and don’t feel like doing devotions or opening the Bible or listening to what God has to say to you as you start another day He gave you.

Sometimes we just give up in the face of some task we see as insurmountable, forgetting that Phil: 4:13 even exists:

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Or that Isaiah 41:13 was written for us:

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

Sometimes you feel you’ve somehow been wronged by the church, or got personally miffed at the pastor’s sermon that morning (which means the Holy Spirit is talking directly to you in an area of your life that needs work.  Do you get mad that God cares about you?)

Or maybe He didn’t come through for you for something you’ve been praying about or desperately wanted. Do you wait on the Lord? Is it your timing or God’s timing?

   “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25)

Sometimes power outages are more insidious. You give the Devil room to maneuver in your life.

You feel you are “missing out” and you purposely sin and now you feel that “Adam and Eve” guilt on your shoulders and don’t feel God wants you because you ate the Forbidden Fruit.

We all sin. Only Jesus is without sin. And when we consciously sin, God will always welcome back a truly repentant person.

God has never stopped loving you. He is love and He is faithful.  Tweet

   “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

Be aware of those outages, and take the steps necessary to plug back into Jesus. Your life depends on it.

Remember that ol’ hymn “There is Power in the Blood”? It is absolutely true. The blood of Jesus that covers us powers our relationship with our Father.

What is it that we can do that justifies our existence, that is truly worthy or purposeful and gives meaning to our lives without the power of Jesus? Nothing.

Without the power of Jesus, life itself has NO POWER.

Key Takeaway

Next time you feel a spiritual power outage happening, stop.

Take a moment. Be still. Listen.

Is God talking to you? Ask Him, “Lord, why am I feeling this way? Why am I feeling this disconnect with You?  Lord, help me to deal with whatever issue is hindering my relationship with You.”

You can always go to God, because when it deals with you, no problem is too big or too small for Him.

Don’t let problems get the best of you, let God get the best of your problems.  Tweet

When you feel your life is on overload and about to blow a transformer, take heart my brothers and sisters. Our Father loves us.

God is not here to let us down. He is here to make our joy complete.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Mount up. There’s a new day coming and there’s power in the blood.