Powered by Grace

It sounds completely counterintuitive, but solar panels actually perform better in cooler temperatures than in blazing heat. Like most electronic devices, solar panels become less efficient as they get hot. A crisp, sunny winter day can actually produce energy more efficiently than a suffocatingly hot afternoon in the desert.

Many times, we think we will be strongest when life is easy, warm, and comfortable. We think we will have more faith when everything is going well, when there is no pressure, no struggle, no uncertainty. But often, it is in the colder seasons of life, in the difficult moments, when our hearts become more open to the light of God.

Saint Paul writes, “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13).

The word “working” in this verse comes from the Greek word energos, from which we get our word “energy.” What a beautiful thought. God is the energy within your soul. You are not living only by your own strength. You are not moving forward only by your own willpower. God Himself is working in you.

Solar panels do not create their own light. They receive the light of the sun and turn it into power. In the same way, we do not create spiritual strength by ourselves. We receive it from God. When our hearts are turned toward Him in prayer, in worship, in Scripture, and in Holy Communion, His light fills us. His grace becomes energy within us.

But when we are covered by worry, turned away by distraction, or disconnected from prayer, we begin to lose our strength. Not because God has stopped shining, but because we are no longer receiving what He is giving.

Maybe this is a colder season in your life. Maybe things are not as easy as you hoped. Maybe you feel tired, pressured, or uncertain. Remember this: you do not have to depend only on your own strength. God is already working in you. His power is greater than your weakness. His grace is stronger than your fear.

So turn your heart toward Christ, the true Sun of righteousness. Let His light shine upon your soul. Let His presence give you power for today. Even in the cold, the light is still shining. You are being powered by grace.