Plugged Into The Right Power

Last week was one of those weeks that reminds you how quickly life can change.

A series of powerful storms rolled through our area, bringing strong winds and leaving a trail of damage behind. One of the casualties was the main power pole that feeds electricity to our house. In a matter of moments, everything went dark.

Like many people, we did what we had to do. We pulled out the generator, got it running, and for the next three days it became our source of power.

At first, I was grateful just to have lights, refrigeration, and a little bit of normalcy. But after a while, I realized that generator power comes with a cost.

Every twelve hours, I had to go outside and check it. I had to monitor the oil level. I had to pour more gas into the tank. I had to make sure everything was still running properly. If I didn’t, the power would stop.

The generator worked, but it required my constant attention.

As I sat in church yesterday, the Lord brought that experience back to my mind and asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks:

“Do you know the difference between being plugged into the pure power of God or your own power?”

Immediately, I thought about that generator sitting in my garage.

How often do I try to live life on my own power?

How often do I try to carry responsibilities, solve problems, fix situations, and accomplish God’s work through my own strength?

The truth is, when I’m running on my own power, life feels a lot like that generator.

I constantly need refueling.

I wear myself out trying to keep everything running.

I worry about whether I have enough strength left for tomorrow.

And if I’m honest, there are times when I feel spiritually exhausted because I’ve been trying to generate something God never asked me to produce.

The Lord reminded me that His power operates differently.

When our utility power was restored, I didn’t have to check oil levels anymore. I didn’t have to refill a gas tank. I didn’t have to constantly maintain the source. I simply had to stay connected.

That’s what life is supposed to look like with God.

We were never meant to be the source of power. We were meant to stay connected to the Source.

The prophet Isaiah wrote:

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29)

A few verses later he says:

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Notice that Scripture doesn’t say we renew our own strength. It says the Lord renews it.

David understood this when he wrote:

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me.” (Psalm 28:7)

And Paul learned the same lesson through his own weakness. After asking God to remove a struggle from his life, God’s response was:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

How often do we spend our days trying to be our own generator when God is inviting us to plug into His unlimited power?

I’ve discovered that living on my own strength is exhausting. It requires constant maintenance. Constant effort. Constant striving.

But living connected to God is different.

That doesn’t mean we stop working. It means we stop carrying the responsibility of being the power source.

Jesus said:

“Remain in Me, as I also remain in you… apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

The storms last week knocked down a power pole, but they also taught me something I needed to hear.

Life’s storms have a way of revealing what we’re plugged into.

If I’m plugged into my own power, eventually I’ll run low.

If I’m plugged into the power of God, He supplies what I could never produce on my own.

Three days of generator power taught me a lesson I hope I never forget:

The generator kept the lights on, but it depended on me.

God’s power keeps my life going, and it depends on Him.

And that’s a much better place to be.

So today I’m asking myself the same question God asked me yesterday:

Am I plugged into my own power, or am I plugged into the pure power of God?

Because one requires constant striving.

The other requires constant connection.