For the last several weeks I have been working on installing a makeshift solar power system to supplement the power of my house. It’s been an exciting adventure, and I’m glad to have knowledgeable people around to give me good advice. YouTube has been very helpful as well.
As I’ve learned about solar power, I’ve been struck by the wonder and power of the sun—that a little solar panel can gather the tiniest fraction of the sun’s power to run appliances in my home. Put a solar panel on your roof, and the sunlight that hits that panel can be converted into electricity that eventually ends up in the socket of your house. All from the sunlight. It’s literally brilliant!
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. —2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
I began to think of the power of the Son of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Like the sun, it’s massive, huge, beyond even comprehension, and it is beaming down upon us with healing, loving and saving power. You and I get to absorb that power and let it be transformed into something that can help people in darkness. The Almighty’s power sparks, if only we will transmit it to others.
We can transmit that power because we know the Son, the One with the power. We accept the power of Jesus, the Son of God, in our lives. When we spend time in His presence, gathering what He’s offering, the transformative power to bring light into darkness is astounding.
One thing I’ve learned about solar power is that the sun’s rays hit the panel, travel through a wire and into a car battery, where the energy is stored to be used after the sun goes down. That reminds me of our testimony. Stored in my memory of what God has done are the powerful lessons God has taught, and the experiences He’s brought me through. And every day, every night, when the sun goes down and the darkness comes, we should be testifying about what God is doing.
Just like solar power, a direct current, must be converted into a format my house can use, alternating current, we must take in the power and the wonder of God and put it into terms that our neighbors can understand. That’s the Word becoming flesh.
My testimony must be presented in a meaningful way that people can understand and accept. That takes creativity, inspiration and plain old hard work, sometimes. We might feel uncomfortable getting involved in the lives of the people we know. But the Word of God becomes flesh and dwells within us, and we harness that power to minister to those around us.
There is no end to the things that God can do when He uses us to change the world, and that should be exciting. We can do nothing on our own without Him, just as an elaborate solar power system without the sun is a completely useless pile of junk. It’s remarkable that God insists on running His power through us to reach the people around us.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. —2 Cor. 4:7
I’m amazed that God would risk using us, broken vessels like you and me, to share His heart-changing love. But no matter how frail or broken we may be, His glory shines through us.
