Do you know what it means to be, “running on fumes”? It’s when the gasoline in your vehicle has been almost completely used up, and you wonder how you’ll make it to the next gas station. You know that you needed to fill up your gas tank yesterday, but were just too busy with other things. This morning, you ran out to go to work, drop off the kids, or meet up with a friend. Unfortunately you woke up late, and now you are in a hurry again, and your gas is about to run out. You gave a big sigh of relief when you finally pull in to the gas station, knowing that you were running on fumes. You got out of your car and very quickly pump in $3.00 worth of gas. You knew that you should “fill ‘er up,” but you just didn’t have time.
However, you don’t know what you’re going to come across as you travel on your way. There may be an accident up ahead causing traffic to come to a crawl, or an unexpected detour that could take you some distance out of your way. What if an emergency happens and you need to take a loved one to the hospital? You will wish that you had taken the extra few minutes to fill your tank, so that whatever happens today, you would have been ready for it.
Your spiritual life is the same way. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:18 to be “filled with the Spirit.” The sad fact of the matter is that many Christians are “running on fumes,” spiritually speaking. Most Christians do not take the necessary time to “fill up” their spiritual gas tank. They will put in about $3.00 of spiritual fuel just to get by. Christians are too busy with things of this earth, and they don’t make their spiritual life a priority. Many Christians wake up and rush out the door, not knowing what they are going to face each day. We all need to take the necessary time to fill up our spiritual gas tank every day, and be filled with the Spirit. Make some time to spend with the Lord today, and begin by saying, “Lord, fill ‘er up!”
Author’s note: My problem is getting to the “filling station” and getting distracted. I can get to the place where I’m supposed to fill up my spiritual gas tank, but I sit and drink some coffee, surf the internet, do some writing, or read a novel. It’s like driving up to a real gas station, but instead of getting gas, I spend my time in the convenience store, and my gas tank remains unfilled. My car won’t go far on coffee and donuts. I need to stop getting distracted and focus on getting my gas tank filled, or I am going to wind up stranded somewhere down the road because I didn’t get what I needed to get.
Get off the computer. Read your Bible. Pray. Get filled with the Spirit today.