jump-start
Acts 1:8 - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
A vehicle ‘jump-start’ will help bring your car back to life for a short time. What is dead suddenly becomes alive and functional when connected to another energized object!
One of our Body & Soul® partners, the Christ-centered wellness ministry, First Place 4 Health, offers participants a ‘jump-start’ by providing one to two weeks of healthy, pre-planned recipes to ‘jump-start’ weight loss. How energizing that initial success can be after a drought of failed efforts!
Jesus promised His followers a ‘jump-start’ before He ascended to heaven. And on Pentecost the promised Holy Spirit not only ‘jump-started’ the individual believers who were gathered together, but the whole Christian church. From that ‘jump-start’, believers spread the Good News of Jesus to the ends of the earth as Jesus foretold in Acts 1:8.
As summer winds down and vacations end, you may feel drained and lacking power. Facing a new school year, getting back to a routine or anticipating holiday preparations may require a ‘jump-start.’
Reading and reflecting on God’s Word can ‘jump-start’ our days as well as our seasons, and set us up for a productive and energized fall! Let the Holy Spirit guide you where to begin!
Reflection: Consider a new devotional or Bible reading app as you transition from summer to fall. Determine to give it a ‘jump-start’ trial period of one to two weeks and see if your time with the Lord energizes you for the season ahead!
With your help, O Lord, I have all that I need to live according to Your will and do Your work. Help me when I am weary. Amen
Shawn Maassel, Huntingtown, MD
Shawn began taking Body & Soul® classes as a student in 1990 after her first child was born. Years later, after a move and transition to full-time church work, she became a Body & Soul® Instructor in order to bring the ministry and classes to her new church. She has been leading classes since 2003 in Huntingtown, Maryland, and enjoys being part of Body & Soul’s Spiritual Impact Team. Shawn and her husband have three grown children and two grandsons across the country.
