Energy Efficiency

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:34 MSG) 

Energy efficiency is financially and environmentally beneficial. Thus, I try to be conscious of my consumption of electricity, water, or fossil fuels. Inattention leads to wastage and damage. Recently, I accidentally left the sliding glass door open just an inch. It was a hot day and the a/c was on. By the time I noticed it, some of the cool air in the room had seeped out. Even worse, a bunch of flies came in through that little space and buzzed around the house. It took hours of my energy to get rid of all the flies, not to mention the cost of wasted electricity. This prompted me to pay attention to other ways I might be unintentionally depleting energy. A small fridge in my garage, that had been consuming energy for years, got unplugged and cleaned out. I canceled an unessential trip. These changes saved time, energy,and money. 

Attentiveness is key to the efficient use of resources. Regular audits of our habits can reveal areas of energy wastage. For example, worrying about the future is futile. It causes today’s blessings to go unnoticed, while anxiety buzzes around ruining our peace. Regrets and resentment over the past are similarly useless. Like a fridge storing unused, old bottles, they consume energy without adding value. Limiting unessential trips into the past or the future saves energy. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now. Rely on His help to deal with whatever hard things come up. Keep your focus on God’s presence and power.