John 10:10, John 1:1-12, Ephesians 1:20-23

Steve Gambill considers who it's important to be connected to, to live the best life you can.

Steve Gambill

It was January 2nd, my first day back into the routine of life after the Christmas break. Despite it being a cold wintry morning in Yorkshire, I was ready for 2018 to be my finest year. In fact, I had decided it was going to my best yet. So I woke up early, dressed, made breakfast for the family and prepared myself for my best day. And then it happened. When I went to start my car, the engine would not turn over. The car engine groaned vrrrr, vrrr, vrrr, and then nothing. The battery was dead. I had left the car sat on the drive for a few days without driving it over Christmas, and the cold rain, wind and ice had taken its toll.

My first thought was, I need a new car. Without a new car I thought, "If I start the new year with this same old car it is going to make me late for work on the first day back in the office. My kids are going to be late for school; I am going to be behind all day, probably all week. So much for a strong start to the new year."

Can you relate? Do you have goals and plans that seem great on paper, but then struggle when an unexpected, pain-in-the-butt inconvenience happens?

As I sat on the drive, praying for the car to somehow miraculously start nothing happened. I realised I was going to have to take action. It came to me that if I was going to get this car started I was going to have to find a new power source for the car. I didn't need a new car; my car just needed a new power source. Deep breath, what do I do?

In that same way, if you want this new year of 2018 to be the best of your life, you are going to have to connect to a new power source. So many people make New Year's resolutions and plans without examining what and who they are connected to. They will soon find out that it is not the calendar, or the new clothes or new diet that makes the New Year new. 2018 is just four numbers on a bit of paper.

What will make your year new is learning how to increasingly connect to the greatest power source in the universe, Jesus Christ. One of the most important verses of the Bible to me is John 10:10. Here Jesus declares that He has come so that you and I might have life and life to the full. What He is saying is that He is the ultimate power source. That all life and power begins with Him, flows from Him to you and from there to the world.

With a little clear thinking and a few quick phone calls I had a new power source located, the car jump-started, the battery replaced, and after a short pause I was back on track.

Your best life is available when you make the best connection possible to Jesus Christ. Whether you are facing a minor pain-in-the-butt inconvenience or a massive health challenge, connect to Jesus. When you feel like the storms of life are taking their toll on you, go straight to your source, Jesus. Pour out your heart to Him. He is your ever-present help in every circumstance and situation. There is no storm greater than Jesus.

2018 is going to be your best life yet, all because of your constant connection to the living God.

For further study

1. Examine your connection.
2. How much power is currently flowing from God through you to those around you? Just like a car has a gauge that measures the power in the engine, how on a scale of 1-10 would you measure your power flow?
3. Are there any things that you should disconnect from? What bad habits, or bad thought patterns should you disconnect from?

Meditate on the these scriptures

John 1:1-12 'Through him all things were made'.
Ephesians 1:20-23 The Message version 'All this energy flows from Christ'.
John 10:10 Amplified Bible.