Alexa, turn on the lights!

 Alexa, turn on the lights!

(c) 2023 Mary Ann Wray

 

Like many of you, Bob and I have these handy Alexa devices we can plug different lights into. All we have to do is say “Alexa, turn on office light,” and it comes on in a flash. We can actually control it when we’re not at home through the Alexa app on our phones. It comes in very handy when we’re out of town and need to turn the light on and off to give the appearance we’re at home. It’s an amazing invention.

Several times I’ve walked into my office and given the usual command but nothing happened. I repeated myself and it still didn’t come on. Then it dawned on me. Maybe my husband turned the switch off and didn’t realize he could just say the word, and Alexa would do the job. Sure enough, the switch was turned off. So, I turned it on and the light came on immediately. I ran the Alexa “turn it off and on test” and everything was back to normal. I’ve done the same thing my husband occasionally does with our living room lamp. We are creatures of habit.

Using this as an analogy, if you are a believer in Christ, and somehow find yourself in the dark or not hearing from the Lord like you used to, there really is a very simple fix. You don’t have to strive for it, work for it or do a host of good works to earn favor back with God. See Ephesians 2: 6. We are saved by grace through our faith; not of works less any one of us boast. I have learned that God’s grace isn’t a one-time event needed for forgiveness of my sins and the gift of eternal life. It’s a life long journey of trusting God for the power we need to overcome life’s hurdles and reach our final destination in Heaven.

In our faith journey, we may hear things like, “You need to go back to church and get plugged in;” or “If you’re not in church you’re in sin.” While it’s Biblical to be part of a faith community, it’s not the first thing we need to check. As another analogy, whenever my mom and I would get ready to clean house, she would say “First things first.” That usually meant cleaning the bathrooms or the kitchen: two important areas that require sanitizing for healthy hygiene. That’s always where we started.

The potential problem of thinking that all you need to do is go to, or join a church to establish or re-establish a connection with God is that it can lead your thinking down a wrong works path or misplace your faith in something or someone other than Jesus first. Believing that going back to church alone is the thing you need to do to make things right between you and the Lord and get your house in order, is sort of like putting the cart before the horse. The thief on the cross certainly didn’t have time to go to the Temple and pray, or get water baptized. But his encounter with Jesus Christ led him to the path of eternity by God’s forgiveness and grace. Through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, you and I can now come boldly before the throne of grace to find grace to help in time of need. We no longer need a priest, a religious exercise or a middleman to petition God’s throne for us. See Hebrews 4: 16.

If you’re weary, wandering, hurting, or trapped in some sinful behavior you can’t break free of, Jesus is just a sincere, heartfelt and honest prayer away. Turn on the switch! I urge you to turn your attention to Jesus first. Read His word, talk to Him, worship Him in music, get acquainted or re-acquainted with your Heavenly Father through Christ, and the Holy Spirit He sent to be our comforter and guide. He is the Third Person of the trinity, not to be ignored.

Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith, not a building, pastor, or denomination. See Hebrews 12: 2. He is the one who purchased you by his own blood and He is the only one who can fully restore your soul. See Psalm 23. Nothing and no one can do you like Jesus.  When you commit yourself to Jesus like this, you’ll find yourself wanting to get involved in the things of God that help others and build His Kingdom on the earth. By the way, God’s kingdom on earth looks nothing like the kingdom of this world. Serving Christ does not offer fame, fortune, and popularity. Satan, the god of this world, offered all of that to Jesus.

“The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ Luke 4: 5-8

The Holy Spirit will lead you to where you need to get "plugged in." No matter how small or insignificant good works may appear to someone else, in God‘s eyes, your obedience will reap a huge Heavenly reward. Think about that!