If you’ve ever had problems with your car’s alternator, you don’t forget the symptoms. A bad alternator means that all of the vehicle’s electrical systems are running off of the battery.
You may be going full speed down the freeway; but suddenly your lights begin to dim, radio music goes choppy, then quiet. Your dashboard indicators would like to tell you about the serious issues they are facing, but they just don’t feel like it. You manage to pull over but when you shut everything down, there’s no juice for a restart.
What started as an alternator failure is now a dead battery.
The alternator’s job is to take the mechanical energy of the car’s engine and convert it to electrical energy for the car’s circuitry. While cruising down the road, the alternator not only operates some minor systems (lights, radio, etc.), it also recharges the car’s battery. Your battery is crucial, no doubt, but without an alternator, the battery quickly becomes a paperweight.
Spiritual disciplines (prayer, study, worship, fasting, etc.) are the alternators of the spiritual life. God’s Spirit, given at baptism, is like the mighty engine at work. There is so much potential power there that if we tap into it, our cares along the road of life melt away.
Our own spirit – the car battery in this metaphor – will be refreshed and recharged moment by moment. The spiritual disciplines are the very ways that God has given to us to stay in contact with His Spirit. Here are some examples:
- Prayer: We come to God with both thanksgiving and requests and cherish time spent with Him (Colossians 4:2).
- Fasting: We turn away from the desires of this world and seek God’s discernment (Acts 13:2).
- Studying God’s Word: We seek to understand who God is and His glorious plan (II Timothy 2:15).
- Meditating on God’s Word: We consider God’s Word carefully as it takes root in our hearts (Psalm 119:148).
- Worship: We lift up our hearts and voices to acknowledge His greatness (John 4:23).
The analogy is not perfect, but the point is clear: without spending time with God in the ways mentioned above, we begin to draw power from our own spirits. Look at the people around you. Most of them are drained of energy and tend to see this world’s highway as a weary one.
They might have found some temporary boost from watching their children grow up. They might have been given a jumpstart or two from passing philosophies or trends. But this is an endurance race. Their lights are dimming and their music is fading.
God, in His wisdom, designed our batteries to be able to recharge in His presence. Make time this week to tap into the only true source of strength suited for the rigors of this life. He doesn’t want to see you stranded on the side of life’s freeway – make use of the alternators every day!