Unauthorized Charger

The car charger for my cell phone is not an official Verizon Wireless product, but the packaging claims it will work with my particular make and model. Those claims are false. I didn’t realize it the first few times I used it, though. I simply plugged one end of the charger into my phone, the other into my car and set it aside, assuming it would perform as it professed. I didn’t even notice the lack of charge when I unplugged it twenty minutes later. I must have been too busy.

But this week the charger’s failure has become evident. I’ve tried it multiple times in a couple of different cars. I’ve flipped it over, I’ve turned the phone off, I’ve changed the order I plug things in, and all but one time, I’ve gotten the same message: “Unauthorized Charger.” It worked once; it failed every other time. And now, after countless unsuccessful attempts, I’ve given up. I’m purchasing the charger my phone was made for.

Does anyone want a useless car charger? It’s meant to fill the battery, but instead it keeps it empty. Reminds me of my own futile attempts to charge my personal batteries. Turns out, I’ve been using “Unauthorized Chargers.” My Manufacturer recommends only certain ones, and instead of seeking them out, I’ve tried to cheat. I’ve bought into plastic packaging, faulty equipment, and misleading claims. I’ve followed many unsuccessful routes in an attempt to recharge my stagnant spirit. And I’ve wanted them to work so badly, that I’ve flipped them over and tried them again, attempting to force the results I longed for. All the while, I’ve known I didn’t have the real thing. But I ignored it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to pay the price it required to get the proper product.

It’s inconvenient to follow Christ sometimes. But it works. His chargers offer substance not substitutes, fulfillment not frustration. If I’m feeling sluggish, His truth will urge me on. If I’m wearing down, His Church will build me up. If I lack power, He’s the source I need. He’s “authorized.” He’s offering. And He’s able.