A Power Outage of the Soul

Rain drizzled outside, gray clouds hung low on the horizon, a cold wind blew, and the power went out. I couldn't turn on the lights, the water ran cold, and the only source of a clock I had was my cell phone. As I sat on my bed in the afternoon dimness I thought, "It's amazing how a little electricity outage can mean so much, how it can inconvenience us so easily." We live our lives depending on technology, digital media, and the assumption that when we flip a light switch; the light will come on. I sat thinking about our dependency on modern conveniences when a new thought came to my mind; do we depend on God as much as we depend upon electricity?

I am afraid that I have often suffered a power outage of the soul. Those times when I didn't ask God what I should do, those moments when I acted too rashly, and those days when I did my own thing; I shut out the voice of God. The vibrancy and brightness that comes from a heart that is leaning wholly on the Lord was absent. This, essentially, was the lack of electricity in my soul. It pains me so much to say it, but I didn't miss God as much as I missed the heat and lights. I had difficulty thinking of what I could do without real electricity but I didn't seem miss the electricity of my soul. That's just what Satan wanted. He didn't want me to miss my Power supply.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. -John 15:5

Yesterday I had to re-evaluate my dependency on God. The fact is, it should be easier for me to give up warm water and lighted rooms than it is for me to give up a close fellowship with my Savior. Instead of wondering what I can do without visible power I should ponder what I cannot do without spiritual power. If I am only relying upon modern inventions to see that I have a successful day, then I have succumb to a power outage of the soul. I thank the Lord for the power failure that made its way to my neighborhood and I thank him for showing me my own failures through it. It is my prayer that the spark of being surrendered to my Savior would never be squelched in my soul.

"Give me the love that leads the way, the faith that nothing can dismay, the hope no disappointments tire, the passion that will burn like fire; Let me not sink to be a clod: Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God."

-Amy Carmichael