Between You And God #12

Dear God, How am I supposed to do everything I’m supposed to do: school, homework, sports, church, family stuff? I’m stressed out!

Almost everybody eats a little snack before a sport practice, something light to keep them going through soccer, track, skating, or whatever workout they do. Snacks are good after school, too, when there’s homework or chores to tackle.

But what should we eat for a pick-me-up? There are lots of options.

Lately, energy bars, which are supposed to be nutritious and chock-full of vitamins, look suspiciously like candy bars. You know—they’re covered with chocolate and filled with caramel or fudge. They smell good. They taste sweet. But do they really give you the energy you need?

Face it, a candy bar masquerading as an energy bar can fool your taste buds, but when it gets down to giving you the energy you need to run up and down a field or power through twenty math problems, it’s going to fall short. The strength you need just isn’t going to be there, and you’ll soon be out of breath or nodding off in an unexpected nap. You’ve got to build yourself up with good food on the inside in order to tackle the challenges on the outside.

There are a lot of “candy bars” in life that promise to power up your spirit—the Internet, a funny TV show, or gossip. But just like the empty calories in a fake energy bar, these won’t give you strength. Instead, why not rely on an unlimited supply of true power that is available to you all day and night?

God!

How about You?

When the going gets tough do you tend to complain or distract yourself with games, TV, or texts, or do you rely on God? Choose one situation, and ask God to give you his power to make it through with victory.

God Says . . .

I [Paul] pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Ephesians 3:16