Good news, bad news.
Good news first: 89% of the world’s population has access to electricity.*
Bad news: A little more than 1 out of every 10 people still do not.
Great progress has been made in the last decade or so, but there’s still much to be done. Electricity is such a vital resource and when we can get it to people it helps them create a better life for their families.
Two decades ago, I traveled to Africa with Moody Radio Pastor Don Cole. He once said to me, “Candlelight is not romantic, it makes it difficult to read and causes fires.”
Trying to read by candle or lantern is very difficult, so nighttime studies for students without electricity is a hinderance to them learning.
There are still 840 million people without electricity. Most of them live in Africa (573 million), primarily in rural villages.
Electricity is one of the many comforts that separates the extreme poor from the poor and the wealthy.
For me, I forget how many times I use electricity, so I counted them in one day:
• Alarm clock woke me up
• Turned on my electric room heater
• Used lights to eat dinner with family
• Opened my garage door
• Turned on my television
• Charged my phone
• Got some cold water from my refrigerator
• Heating fan warms my house
• Outside lights keep us safe
• Microwaved a snack
And on and on…
A total of 42 times I counted today that my life was impacted by electricity.
Next time you or your family members think you are poor or not doing so well, count the number of times you use electricity and thank God for the blessing of living where you do.
TAKE ACTION: Once a day, whenever you press a button, remember to acknowledge how you’re blessed by electricity, and say a quick prayer for those who are cold or in the dark.
And, if you’re able, take it a step further and join Bright Hope by giving to help those living in physical spiritual darkness.
* Source: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2019/05/22/tracking-sdg7-the-energy-progress-report-2019
