Cell Phone Spirituality

Nancy Gaughan

          We all know how cell phones work.  When you get a new cell phone, you must charge the battery in the battery charger that came with the phone.  The energy in the battery is used up when you keep your phone turned on, which you should do continuously in case anyone calls you or you want to use it.  Once the battery is low, you again plug it into your charger to be recharged and ready to go.

          If you have a phone and never take it out of the charger, it is of no use to you.  If you carry it wherever you go without turning it on, as I often do, it is also useless.  I have the phone so that I can be reached if my son at school or husband at work need me.  When I don’t turn it on, I defeat the purpose of my even having the phone.

          Our walk with God is like that cell phone.  Worship services are our battery charger.  We come and get renewed and recharged to go out into the world and show God’s light in a dark world.  If we only feel God’s presence at church, we are like those who never take the cell phone from the charger.  If we leave the service, having felt God’s presence, but keep His spirit closed up within us, for only our own benefits, we are like those who carry their cell phones without turning them on.  It defeats the purpose of being recharged.  When we let His peace, or His patience, or forgiveness, or wisdom, or other fruits of the Spirit shine through us, we are using the spiritual energy we get from services to God’s glory. 

          The services are important because we all need recharging.  If you are using your spiritual battery, it will need to be recharged.  Worshipping with other believers renews us to go out and show the world God’s light.