Unplugged

Have you ever considered how spoiled we are by electricity.

Instant light.  Ready power.

I remember when my husband and I looked at potential houses to buy. One of the things I checked for was the outlets: how many and where they were in all the rooms.  Over the years my opinion has become: there are never enough.

Recently I read several articles emphasizing our need to “go green”, including unplugging items not in use.  Chargers, radios, lamps, even computer printers that wait for our instant use were described by one author as “electrical vampires.”  The amounts of drainage were not high on their own, but when put together in households, neighborhoods, and communities become staggering.

I went through my home unplugging the unnecessary, and  began to wonder what was sapping my spirit?  I thought of the warning in Hebrews: “It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.” (Hebrews 12:1, The Message)

Truth be told: I’m not getting any younger—physically or spiritually.

My birthday is just around the corner.  Getting older has not been easy: my body doesn’t respond like it used to.  I haven’t done a good job of listening to it either.  I’ve let far too many pounds creep on, somehow justified each and every one of them.  There are tests that my doctor wants me to have because of my age I have been putting off.  I need to update my glasses and get my teeth cleaned.  I put them off by claiming financial prudence, when in fact it is foolishness and poor stewardship to not take care of this amazing physical machine—we truly are fearfully and wonderfully made.

This awareness has me drinking Danactive and taking Omega3 in addition to my other vitamins and minerals.  So I’m trying to get better at taking care physically.  How do I go green spiritually?  I keep coming back to this “unplugging” idea.  I’m wondering about what “parasitic sins” are attacking me and sucking out my spirit.

So, maybe I’ll search the rooms of my spirit like I searched and counted outlets. I’m going to ask God to open the eyes of my heart (Ephesians 1:18). It’s time to kick the Spirit suckers to the curb, no room in my life for spiritual fat or parasitic sins.

How about you?