My VW bug was a workhorse with a broken fuel gauge. NO PROBLEM! I had driven it all over North Carolina while in seminary without a problem. I knew my vehicle. But on that night, somewhere between St. Stephen and Moncks Corner, came the undeniable choking sound of a car expending the last of its fuel. It was after 10pm. It was very dark, and my four-year old son began to cry. With some words of comfort and a tightly held hand, we set out to the nearest house to plead for help. We were fortunate to find the lights on at a house less than a mile away. The folks there provided us a ride to a nearby convenience story, paid for a gallon of gas, and stayed with us until the car was cranked and running. An hour after being stranded, we were on our way home.
It has been thirty-eight years since that event and the thoughts that raced through my mind that night still haunt me occasionally. All the way home, I thought about how that experience mirrors the maintenance of our lives. Most of us go full-speed day after day, rarely thinking to check our fuel gauge. Before you know it, you find yourself sputtering along feeling tired, demoralized, discouraged, and distant from God. The spark plug of passion might still have a little fire, but there is no fuel to give us the power to go.
I am writing about your devotional life! Not a legalistic, burdensome ritual, but a consistent refueling time alone with God. Fuel is to the automobile what prayer, meditation, and Bible reading are to the spirit. The stresses of life drain that fuel and unless you are refilling your tank regularly, eventually, you will run dry. Unfortunately, just like a car with no fuel, that stress will stop you in your tracks.
A busy life might seem productive and “spiritual,” but it requires energy and fuel. That fuel for abundant life is quiet time spent alone with God. In Luke 10, Martha busied herself into distress as she prepared a meal for Jesus and His disciples while her sister, Mary, sat at the feet of Jesus. When Martha tried to pressure Jesus into making Mary help, Jesus simply said, “Martha, you are so upset and all these details. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and I will not take it from her.” That is Luke 10:42 from The Living Bible paraphrase.
When you feel like the passion is gone and you are just too tired to go on; when you feel like you have nothing left to give to those who need you; when you feel like you are on the emotional edge and the next crisis could push you over, you might just need to refuel. The best tuned and most powerful engine will not crank without fuel. Make the time to step back and sit at the feet of Jesus. It was He Who said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
