Bill Paid, No Power - Whaa?!

This winter, Upstate New York (and much of the East Coast) faced an unprecedented windstorm. Like thousands of others, our family felt its impact for months after - still in it actually. We were covered in snow up to our waistlines, but that wasn't the worst of it. There were power outages all across the region! But to hear my husband tell it, he was sitting home and while he heard the wind, he didn't think much of it. Even when he heard the gutter swaying and bashing against the house he thought, "hmnph, strange weather". It wasn't until a neighbor called from across the street to let him know that his rooftop - and maybe the screen door next - was flying down the street in a direct line to our neighbors' houses, that he decided to take action. By then, the house was starting to get just a little colder than usual. Suddenly he realized - the power was out! Because he hadn't paid much attention to the mounting winter storm that was swirling up all around him, his first thought was, "Hunh! I know I paid that bill." It was only after he called the electric company, that he accepted the fact that thousands of customers were also facing a outage.

Whenever you pay a bill, there's a certain expectancy that exists in your mind: What you paid for should work! If make a car payment, you expect to be able to drive it. If you pay for school, you expect to enter class and receive your grades without question. And if you pay the power bill, you expect that when you flick the switch, the power will be on.

Do you think God is ever reminded about the bill He paid when He sees us with our switches off – with no power. Does He think, “I know I paid that bill in full; why isn’t she working?" "What’s wrong with his power – it seems to be flickering on and off again." Is your power on? After all, the bill WAS paid. I Cor 6:19-20 says

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?

You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Think about how much goes down when the power is off? The same applies to each of us. How dependent are we on the power that works around us every day? We should be as dependent on the power that works WITHIN us, if not more. Don't leave God wondering if He paid the bill... show Him that His power is alive and working in you!