Living off-the-Grid
Main Course: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Off-the-Grid is a lifestyle change. It is leaning on your Beloved (Song 8:5; 2 Cor. 12:9). It is pulling away from social media, TV, movie nights, church services/religious social gatherings, 9-5s, meetings, new business ventures, the phone/texts and any other unprofitable activities, traditions or cultural norms that interfere with our focus of “one thing” - His will for our lives. This is more than being unplugged because we can plugin again. This is more than being disconnected because service can be restored. This is a lifestyle change, a crossing over, death-to-self. It is “good-riddance” to the old and although uncertain, “hello” to the new – going/moving forward into uncharted waters (cf. Ex. 14:13). Off-the-grid is a totally different lifestyle; it is a lifestyle change.
This is a hard move, but it is not impossible. You see, when all you’ve known has been dependent upon and produced by a superficial power source when it goes out, you go out too or you’re severely affected or impacted by its faulty system. So in the face of new uncertainties, there must be an adjustment period to regain your equilibrium and recover from the shell shock of leaving the familiar and acclimate to first-time experiences. "I am moving you to new surroundings."
But God is with you through all of the rough patches and times of transition (Is. 41:10). The Word reaffirms that it will work out for your good and in your favor because Holy Spirit will comfort and guide you (Ps. 16:7). To be totally self-sufficient/relying on God vs. man-made systems is where you will find safety. “I am moving you to a place of safety in me.”
A place where you can rely and depend on me is my faithfulness, your guarantee. And for those who rebel, they will be destroyed which is not my Will (Jn. 3:16). But the invitation was refused, and they never answered “the knock” – the knock on the door of their hearts (Rev. 3:20; Heb. 3:7-8, 15; 4:7)
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Living separate from the world, depending totally upon God as our source, we are inevitably transformed into an image – the image of Jesus for the world to see (Is. 60:1-5; 2 Cor. 3:18). For we don’t stand on our own or alone but in His strength, power and might; it is in Him we live, move and have our being (Zech. 4:6; Eph. 6:10; Is. 52:10; Acts 17:28; cf. Matt. 4:4). “I’m moving you to a greater power source - from the superficial to the supernatural.”
WARNING: If you don’t learn to survive/live off the grid, you will die. If you continue to eat off of the Tree of Good and Evil - human knowledge (use your human limited abilities/faculties to determine what’s good/bad or right/wrong), and not from the Tree of Life (total dependence on God), you will die (Gen. 2:17).
In our time of repentance (this pandemic), we must admit and acknowledge what God considers wrong in His sight and shift the balance of power back over to Him (we don’t take matters into our own hands and make decisions apart Him and His holy Word): this is how we live, maintain and sustain ourselves off-the-grid (Jn 15:1-5).
Jesus lived off the grid from the world and so must we! (Jn. 17:16)
