Low Battery Signals

It always happens at night.  Don't ask me why--I can't explain it.  Just when you're in deep sleep, a shrieking be- ee-ee-ep rudely awakens you.  This is followed by shorter beeps at persistent regular intervals.  I'm talking, of course, about your smoke detector's low battery signal. 

It wouldn't be so bad if you could find the offender that is emitting the shrill, nerve-jarring sound.  By the time you finish your detective work, you are disgusted that smoke detectors don't come with a specially colored flashing light on them so you can easily spot and arrest the culprit.

My husband and I lived this scenario last night at 3:30 a.m.  I was awakened before he was, and I thought maybe I could just try to go back to sleep.  No dice.  He soon awoke too, and we had to get up and take care of business.  When we finally got back to bed at 4:00 a.m., I began to think about the words, "low battery signals".

I believe we can have personal low battery signals in our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical lives.  Maybe the beep isn't very loud at first, and maybe others hear the sound before we're even aware of it.  We may have a short temper, be irritable or depressed, carry a chip on our shoulder, etc, and others hear it loud and clear.  Since our whole being is interrelated as spirit, soul, and body, what are some ways we can guard against personal low battery signals?  Here are some of my thoughts:

• Spiritual batteries:  Stay in intimate daily fellowship with God.
• Emotional batteries:  Forgive those who have hurt us; let peace rule our heart.
• Mental batteries:  Feed our mind on good things (Philippians 4:8).  Check what is coming out of our mouth.  "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks", Scripture says in Matthew 12:34-37.
• Physical batteries:  Don't do too much; slow down and don't "sweat the small stuff".  Love ourselves in a healthy way so we can love our neighbor properly.  God's Word says we are to "love our neighbor as ourselves". When the body is too tired, it affects how we think and relate to people and even God.  Learn to say "no" to some things others may desire us to do; take care of God's temple that houses our spirit.

Especially at this time of year when we think of all we want to do: the cleaning, the baking, the gift-buying, etc, it's important to perhaps choose a few things and do them with joy and gladness.  The Word says that whatever we do, we should do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not out of compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Are you running low on well-being?  Do you need to change your batteries?  God will help you find which one needs changing. 

Don't ask me why -- I can't explain it.  He may even tell you at night when you're sleeping.

Copyright © 2011 Elaine Beachy