Running On Spiritual E

"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." - 2 Timothy 1:6

Anyone that has ever run out of gas knows how time consuming, not to mention how frustrating it can be. While I can’t say I ever remember running out while driving, I’ve seen many a people walking from or to their vehicle carrying a gas can. I do have to admit, I have coasted up to the fuel pumps a time or two because I tried to put it off, fit more miles in my day than I had gallons in my tank. After all, ‘there is always later.’

The same thing can happen in our spiritual lives. We face so many situations and so many battles our days get cluttered and we push to tomorrow things we wanted or even needed to do today. All the while we do not take the time to refuel our tanks, spiritual.

My ‘new’ car has a little orange light that comes on just before the needle gets to E. The manual states that at this point there is roughly 1.2 gallons in the reserve tank. This is the first warning sign my car gives me. Like-wise, there are warning signs when we are nearing spiritual empty.

Our time ‘reading’ the Word is replaced with listening to it or sermons, or cut out entirely. Prayer time is reduced to complaining or demanding of God, if we even speak to Him at all. Our giving and attendance is not a priority as we reason to our selves that we don’t need it all or things can get by without us. We don’t get involved with ministry or project ‘x’ because we are occasionally involved with ‘y,’ and that’s all we feel we need to do. This is the little orange light of burn out, spiritual empty is on its way.

My car’s orange light flashes if the needle reads half way through the thick red line marked E, meaning there is a half-gallon left. Essentially, telling me that I’ve squeezed all I can out, I’d better refuel or there will be consequences.

Paul said to Timothy to stir up the gift; another translation says to fan into flames the spark. I don’t know where your spiritual needle is, whether it is beyond full and you can go for a long while before the needle even moves, or whether that burn out light is flashing and you barely sputtered in today. Let me encourage you with the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 11, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Don’t give up! Refuel today!