On March 16, a storm passed over our town and it knocked out electrical power at our house for ten hours. This was much longer than usual and long enough to prove very inconvenient to us. It also demonstrated just how dependent we have become on modern conveniences and luxuries. My wife said we had become spoiled, and she was right.

Modern life is very different from what it was for Nell and me while growing up. We were both born impecuniously (poor) and did not know for a long time some of the conveniences and even luxuries God would later grant us. Our lack did have its advantages, however.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote an interesting essay entitled, “Compensation.” In it, he made the point that there are advantages to everything, even hardships. He said, “In general, every evil to which we do not succumb is a benefactor; we gain the strength of the temptation we resist.”

I quite agree. Resisting temptation becomes easier with practice, like most things; while caving to temptation can become habitual. However, as a minister of the Gospel, I preach that Christians do have the choice not to sin, whereas unbelievers have no choice. They must sin and often.

Doing without electrical power is certainly an inconvenience, but another power in life is far more serious and important. And that is the power Christians have through our Father in Heaven. The One who created the entire universe wants to be our best Friend, but we must let Him. Christ never forces in the door to our heart. We must let Him in.

The Apostle Paul tells us, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16). God’s power is so much more important than any earthly power. His power saves us for eternity in heaven, and it endues us with power for much better living on earth. So while we “suffered” the mere inconvenience of the absence of earthly electrical power, we reveled in joy from the power we have from the blood of Christ, our wonderful Savior.

I am reminded of that wonderful old hymn, “There is Power in the Blood,” which proclaims the wonderful power found in the blood of God’s Lamb, His only begotten Son, Jesus. This hymn asks, “Would you be free from the burden of sin?” Who would not? Sadly most people would not because they reject the only way to have their sins washed away, the power of the blood of Christ. The song also asks, “Would you o’er evil a victory win? Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide; there’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.”

When I was young and more foolish, I asked a minister, “But what if it (the Gospel) is not true?” His answer I did not understand until years later. He said, “It does not matter.” I know today that he was of course referring to the fact that faith in Christ imparts power to not only see Heaven but to also have a much better life experience on Earth.