Recharge

Today, I went to work and forgot my charger at home. It's the end of the day and I only have a little battery left. As soon as I get home, I will charge it up so that I have access to its use as soon as possible. Have you ever felt like my phone? Losing power, light dimming, running out of energy, seemingly about to die and not be of any good use to anyone?

There are two important steps I'm going to take for my phone that would be good for you to take as well to get your charge back:

• First, I will plug it in to the power source:

In the same way, when you're losing energy, you need to plug back in to your power source. In the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy and the joy of the Lord is your strength. The way to plug in is to find your way into the presence of the Lord. How do you get there? Prayer, reading the Word, praise, worship, meditation, fasting. These activities energize, refill, and recharge you. There are certain activities that you engage in that drain you and others that charge you. Find the things that energize you and recharge your battery.   

• Second, I will let it rest:

Sometimes, we burn out because we won't rest. I challenge you to be fully present in whatever it is that you're doing. If you're playing, totally commit to playing; if you're working, totally commit to working; if you're exercising, totally commit to exercising; if you're praising, totally commit to praising... if you're resting, totally commit to resting! With my phone, if I charge it while also using it, it is going to take much longer for the device to fully charge than it would if I would leave it alone to its charging. Rest, rest, rest! 

Now, I have two sets of questions for you to think about:

• How do you recharge? What builds you back up again? Where do you gain your energy from?
• What is blocking your rest? What distracts you from being fully present when you rest?

Matthew 11:28-30New Living Translation (NLT)

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

1 Peter 5:7New Living Translation (NLT)

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.