“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”     John 15:5 NKJV

In a world where our internet connection is of utmost importance, one message we hate to receive is the dreaded “Cannot connect to server” or “Connection is lost”. When this happens, all of our devices that require that connection, such as phones, televisions, computers, and tablets, become useless.

That’s like what happens to us when we lose our connection to Christ. God put us here on Earth to serve a purpose. We are one body in Christ, individually members of one another. We were put here to serve Him. God gave each of us one or more spiritual gifts to use in service to Him. In order to do any of these things, however, we must be connected to Him. We must have a relationship with Christ.

Today, I am asking you to go to your settings and check your connection. Are you connected to Christ? Do you spend time each day conversing with Him through Bible study and prayer? Do you take time out of your busy schedule to meet with other Christians and give Him thanks and praise?

If you aren’t doing these things, you may as well be trying to use your computer to log onto websites with no internet connection. When Hurricane Ida hit our area, we were without internet connection for two weeks. You know the old saying, “You never miss what you’ve got until it’s gone”? Well, I can tell you that when your internet gets knocked out for two weeks, you really miss it. We use it for so much, and we just take it for granted until we have no access to it. Many jobs can’t be done without the internet, especially with so many people working from home these days.

Many of us think we are self-made. The phrase “self-made” always amuses me because none of us are self-made. We are created by God the Father, who created the universe. We are reliant upon Him to do anything. He is the one who allows us to take a breath. He is the one who allows our hearts to beat. He is our protector. He knows us by name and knows how many hairs are on our heads. He has appointed a time for us to die. He gives us the ability and intelligence to do what we do. He has put us here on earth to serve Him, which we cannot do without a proper connection.

Paul said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If God calls us to do something, He will give us the strength we need to get the job done. Paul suffered stoning, beatings, shipwreck, and many imprisonments in His service to Christ. But he never let that slow Him down. He knew that as long as he stayed connected to Christ, he could do what God had called him to do.

So, are you connected to Christ? We are told in Proverbs 3:5-6 that we should trust in the Lord with all our heart.  We are not to lean on our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge Him. And He will guide us on the straight path. Do you acknowledge Christ in all you do? Have you surrendered your life to Him? We must do these things in order to maintain a good, solid connection to Him.

John goes on to say in verse 6 of chapter 15, that if anyone does not abide in Christ, he is cast out as a branch that has withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

You may have success in a temporary, material world without being connected to Christ. But be assured, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven to spend eternity with Him without that connection.

Check your connection today. Connect to Him if you have not done so. You will be so glad you did.

Have a great day!