“Stop Plugging into Dead Outlets.” By: Melodie Rose Jordan. 

Have you ever tried plugging a chord into a broken outlet? I have. It was awhile go at my old job, and I had a customer who insisted on me test sampling a food processor. I tried explaining to her that I was not authorized to do so, but she would not take no for an answer. So, not going against a customer I found an old outlet and proceeded with turning the processor on. As soon as the plug reached the two holes of the outlet, a tiny spark flew out and my whole hand was shocked. I was numb for an entire night. The plug apparently was broken and had not been used for awhile. 

This is a clear example of how our lives can play out. Most times God unplugs us from dead outlets to lay out new ones. Yet, as human as we are we try and try again to plug back into that old, dead outlet. There is a lesson in the Bible that exempts this. 

It comes from James 4. James is expressing how crucial it is not to quarrel over possessions not only with unsaved people, but with christians as well. It’s very easy to become envious of how another’s walk is going. For me, I could become very envious of those who just engaged, got a higher paying job, or was chosen from a small pool of people to go on a special missionary trip. James says this: “You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.” ‭‭James‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬  We are called to be building and growing with other believers. How can we ever see the kingdom of God if we choose not to see past the sin in our hearts? What I mean by the question is how can expect to spread the Word if we aren’t abiding by it on our own. Don’t examine other people’s walk with God. We are all on a different path. 

Getting pack to unplugging from dead outlets, James states in verse 4: “you adulterers!” Let’s pause…notice how he starts by calling us adulterers. What a good analogy he is using. An adulterer is someone who cheats. It doesn’t have to be within a relationship. We can cheat in just about everything. A promotion, stealing, lying..you name it. James continues by saying that making friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God. When we desire more worldly things instead of heavenly things, we’re missing the big picture. I’m going to say this in example. 4 years ago all I craved for was a man. I endlessly asked God. I craved it like a camel craves water in a dry desert. I was dangerously envious of other people who had someone. Well, God gave me a man. Look where I’m at now…in the same spot. This time, I’m craving my God. James states that a friend of the world can never be a friend of God. Picture someone you care about so much. You would go to the ends for this person. You give and give time to them, yet they still chose someone or something over you. That’s exactly how God feels about us when we choose our desires over His plans. Ouch, right? 

Verse 5 states the most perfect example of God and how much He cares for us: “What do you think the scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit whom God has place within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful.” God gets JEALOUS when we desire over Him. Wow….a marvalous, all knowing being gets jealous over you and me. Just ponder that for a second. I’m concluding this with verse 6: “He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires.” 

The greatest news. God gives us the strength to unplug. To stay away from dead outlets. I heard God ask me this: “Melodie, why do you keep trying to plug into a dead outlet when I’ve already given you more of them that will give you life?” Tonight, if you’re struggling to let go, to unplug from something or someone who know is just sucking the life out you, know that God is jealous and gracious over you. He promises you strength, just go ahead and take it. Plug into God and gain your life back.