There is an energy crisis going on and each of you is a part of it. You say I know I Know I hear about it at work on the radio when I get gas from the President What exhortation is there for me in hearing about it again. But it is a different sort of energy crisis I propose to write about.
Ever notice how some people some brethren, some ecclesias seem to be bursting with energy. They are a ball of fire always working on some new project always doing things while others hardly seem to have energy enough to get out of their own way. Its been said Some brethren some ecclesias are like they just lay in the bottom of the bowl while others when you pour on the milk go snap crackle and pop.. We’d all like to be that kind of person with the snap crackle and pop. We don’t want to be a sleepy ecclesia of do-nothing individuals. Ours is a lite of service life is the time to serve the Lord. A lack of energy in spiritual things is a problem which each of us as individuals must solve.
There is a great similarity between personal energy and the type of shortages the world is experiencing Just as the world around us is waking up to the fact that there is not an endless supply of natural resources, so should we recognize this about our personal energy resources. As Jesus said on the mount of transfiguration when he found his disciples asleep.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak just as the world is starting on a conservation program so should we start on a conservation program Just as the awareness of this crisis is changing the lifestyle o people around the world so should our awareness change our life style.
Where to begin In the same place the world is beginning by eliminating wastes of energy.Each of us without too much trouble could probably produce a healthy list of energy wasting activities in our lives. Let us look at three energy wasters worry, self pity, and anger Worry and especially worry about things we cant do anything to change is non productive. Why should a Christadelphian worry knowing that all things work for good to them that trust God. Is it sin we worry about. Why when we should be continent in the forgiveness offered to us through repentance. This is what David all in the Psalms the Sure Mercies. Is it the state of the world we worry about. What is this world coming to. We often hear people exclaim Christadelphians included. We are told in Pslam 37:1 to bret not thyself because of evildoers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity God is in control Don’t worry.
Self pity is a common waste of energy A classic example of self pity in the scriptures is found in Joshua starting out it verse 7. Because of the sin of Achan, the Israelites had just been trounced by the men of An Instead of prayerfully inquiring of God Joshua wallows in self pity Poor little us.
Wherefore hast thou it all brought this people over Jordan to destroy us Would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side of Jordan. He wants But God doesn’t let him get away with it. He brings Joshua up short Get thee up wherefore hast thou thus upon thy face. So next time we find ourselves waiting inwardly or otherwise let us remember the lesson of Joshua. It was only when Joshua abandoned his self pity at God’s command that he was able to find out the source of his present trouble and do something to solve it. So Get thee up wherefore hast thou thus upon thy face.
In a book on time management they state that conflicts and anger should be involved at all costs. Why Because they are large energy wasters. It an individual would expend the same time in productive work that he might spend in anger his time would be better used.But more energy and anger draws heavily on one’s physical reserves.
Have you ever been too tired to get the full benefit out of the memorial service. Too tired to give full attention Have you ever dozed off in Memorial services. Was it because of the busy week or late Saturday night you had. There are Christadelphians who refuse to go any where Saturday night for this very reason After all isn’t the Memorial service the central moment of our communion with God. In Hebrews 12:10 we are told to thing about Jesus and what He went through for us lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. The Memorial service is the best time to do this thinking How can we tap this energy source if we are too tired. The point is that we must put first things first Eliminate those world things that subtract from our Godly services Conserve our energy for God.
Along with its efforts at conserving energy the world is looking for new and little used sources of energy And so are we One source of strength much over looked as meditation David in the familiar words of the word psalm hints at the restoring quality of peacefullness and quiteness. He leadeth me beside the still waters (The margin says waters of quietness) He restoreth my soul We like David need to experience a few moments of walking beside the still waters Norman Vincent Peale in his book the Pater i Prism I bringing lauds the benefits of peaceful contemplation
Saturate Sour thoughts with peaceful experience peaceful words and ideas and ultimately you will have restore house of peace producing experiences to which you may turn for refreshment and renewal of your spirit It will be vast source of power Christ believed in this same energy source. On several different occasions he withdrew with his disciples away to a private place to be renewed and restored.
Ultimately all energy and strength comes from above God hides Israel for looking elsewhere for their strength and energy in Isaiah 30, 1:3
Woe to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take council but not of me and that cover recovering but not of my spirit that they may add sin to sin that walk to go down into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt. Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.
Egypt is a common symbol of the world If we go to the world for our strength if we trust in Pharaoh for our help it will also be our shame and our confusion.
We Know that Except the lord build the house they labor in vain that build it except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late (Pslam 1 27:1,2) Not only will God not help you if you turn your back on him but he will frustrate all your efforts so that your energy will be waster Israel was warned of this very thing. They were told that as one of the punishments for sin their strength shall be spent in vain for your land shall not yield her increase neither shall the trees of that land yield their fruits Leviticus 26:20 It you want to ignore God and think that by hard work you can take care of yourself and prosper not so God will see to it that your efforts are waster We must come to God for energy.
All the great men of energy in the Bible acknowledged god as their source of power Moses a man who is described at 120 years old is (his eye was not dimmed nor his natural force abated) the picture of vitality and energy said. The Lord is my strength Exodus 10:2 David in his lifetime was a warrior shepherd an statesman a peat a musician. Any one of those things would have been enough for one man to master and indicates to us the great energy at David’s command David says I will love thee Oh Lord my strength Psalm 18:1 It was the apostle Paul who said I can do all things through. Christ that strengtheneth me Philippians to us too look to the same source.
Have you ever stopped to compare how soon you become weary doing something you have little interest or love for with how much energy you have when doing something you enjoy. Attitude has such a great power over our physical energy. It is easy to see why the children of Israel has such a difficult time following God. It was their attitude as evidenced in Malachi 1:113. Ye and also Behold What a weariness is it love for God and his work gibes us the energy. It makes the burden of service light. The exhortation then is to examine ourselves. If we have no energy to serve God perhaps it is be cause we have lost our first love.
That’s all well and good you might say. But I have some very real physical limitations. The apostle Paul was a man with a very real physical limitation. The apostle Paul was a man with a very real physical limitation. We don’t Know exactly what it was but he did pray a better servant God’s answer was My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness. In spite of Paul’s limitation he was useful to God Whatever limitations in energy we have enough to be of some use to God His strength is made perfect in our weakness. It’s a curious thing that some of the most active energetic brethren are those who if you knew their physical limitations you would think them the least likely to be as active as they are.
If we are to have that snap crackle and pop we ought to conserve our energy not wasting what we have got we must come to the source God. We must love God’s work and finally have faith chat we have enough energy to be useful.
We look toward to the time when energy will not be priests either to us or the world we live in. It will be a time of rest. In the words at hymn 57
I heard the voice of Jesus say
come unto me and rest
lay down thou weary one lay down
thy head upon my breast
I came to Jesus as I was
weary and worn and sad
I found in him a resting place
and he has made me glad
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One