"Unplugged"

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5

I have a small electric heater in my office that I turn on some mornings while I am at my desk to help heat the room up quickly. Yesterday morning I turned it on and began to work on the devotional. After a period of time I noticed that it was not heating up. I rechecked to make sure the control was turned on the right position. Upon further examination I discovered that it was unplugged. No wonder it wasn't heating, it was disconnected from the power source.

Even though it is a heater and designed to heat, even though the manufacturer created it for that purpose, even though it has all the elements that give it the ability to heat, it will never heat if it is not plugged in. It has to have a power source. We are no different. We have been created for a purpose. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) We have been designed by God in such a way as to be able to fulfill that purpose, but unless we are "plugged" into Him- the source of the power to fulfill what we were created to do- we will be unable and fail at the attempt.

This is why Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing". He said the same thing while He was on earth of His own work, "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." (John 8:28) He knew He needed the Father. He knew that from the Father "flowed" all that He needed- strength, wisdom, direction, grace, power- to fulfill the task.

Are you trying to do the work on your own? Are you trying to accomplish it by yourself? Does it look like the "controls" are turned on, but you are unplugged from the "power"? Be sure you are connected to the Father and the power that you need to accomplish His purpose, plan and commission will be there to do it.

Have a great day. You were created for good works in Christ, but you can't do them unless you are "plugged" into Him.
For further reading:
John 14:10; 5:19-20
Acts 1:8
Mark 16:20