Running on Empty

Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God.  Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage.  The focus will shift from you to God,

and you will begin to sense his grace.

Matthew 6:6 – The Message

 

We are a “fake it till we make it” kind of society.  My hand is up.  Guilty as charged.

I ran out of gas a long while ago.  And right about then, ever resourceful, I just got out of the car and started pushing it down the road.  I’ve been passing up gas stations, accomplishing painfully short distances, and wearing myself into the ground – all because of what?

I’m simply too busy to take the time fill up my tank.

It’s ridiculous, but it’s our approach to life – our approach to God – and it’s super messed up.

In my case, I’ve been doing all the “right” things.  Diligently planning Bible studies, writing Blogs, attending church, volunteering, teaching my kids about Jesus …. Perhaps, I could look at my list of accomplishments and pat myself of the back for being a good Christian example.  But, in my heart of hearts, I know the Father would have a different take.  Because that’s not the deal we made, and I’m not doing what I told Him I would do.

When is the last time you spent real – devoted, quiet, open ended – time with the Father?  When is the last time you opened up your Bible and dug deep, THINKING about every word you’re reading?  When have you last carved out time in your crazy to sit still and listen?  Dare I ask if you do any of it regularly?

I don’t have an unending supply of insight or gold nuggets to bring to the table of solutions.  High energy Heather can be good fun, but I get cranky and resentful after too long at those speeds.  Problem is, my tank always runs out at inconvenient moments, and stopping to visit my secret place for a recharge is not a penciled-in event.

And that’s when my Christianity becomes like crack:

GOD, please, just give me something brilliant to say for Bible study and I promise I’ll make time for just me and you when it’s done.  Deal?

NO DEAL.

Caffeine can only replace sleep for so long.  And our substitutes for spending time with God are equally short-term fixes…  Great worship.  A motivating message on Sunday.  A transparent chat with a friend.  An act of kindness.  All good things.  But this all should come from the overflow of our time spent with God.

When we live our lives on FULL, we can give from the abundance.  Alternatively, when we give from our depleting supply, the lack becomes our focus and absolutely everything suffers.  Trust me, the difference is noticed.

Here I’ve been, sweating through pushing my car a short distance – while God’s plan for me today was a hundred miles.  Same amount of time required with an altogether different outcome.   All because I’m too busy to pull over and fuel up.  Really?

Jesus — the SON OF GOD — took time to refuel.   He was healing, teaching, traveling, mentoring, and preparing to SAVE THE WORLD.  Busy?  I’d say he has us beat.  But He found moments to pray.  The Bible specifically says:  Jesus OFTEN withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16

The night before He chose His disciples: … Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. (ONLY THEN!) When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them…  Luke 6:12-13

Jesus didn’t (and probably still doesn’t) just wing it.

He planned everything with the Father.  He was prepared for the Pharisees.  He knew scripture.  He knew WHO to heal.  He searched out SPECIFIC people in darkness.  He wasn’t walking around aimlessly.  He had a commission…  A plan He regularly went back to God to discuss.  And He recharged, taking some quiet time to THINK.  To LISTEN.

If Jesus Christ needed this, you and I need it… and we need it to a much greater extent than Him.

So this is me, right now, pushing the car to the side of the road.  Stopping.  I’m getting gas.  Finally.

And then I’m going to RIDE ON – all autobahn style.

See YOU at the next rest stop!