28 Jul, 2011
Running on Empty
Several years ago my sister Vicki came to visit us in Tennessee. Her car was experiencing some problems with her gas gauge and she could not tell how much gas she had left in her tank. Through out her weeklong visit we chauffeured her around in our car so she would not have to use her gas and we could visit while traveling.
Wanting to be prepared, Vicki stopped for gas on her way out of town. She filled the car up and the total came to a whopping 54 cents. Yep, that’s right. 54 cents. She forgot that she had filled up right before she got to our house, but not trusting her faulty gauges, she knew she had to try and be filled up or she could risk running on empty.
God’s Story: Romans 8:5-11
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[b] his Spirit who lives in you.
What does today’s God’s Story teach us about running on empty?
Reread the Scripture. Take some time to let it soak in.
Our life is empty without Jesus. The power that we can receive from the Spirit is immeasurable and limitless. There are no boundries of God’s faithfulness to His children. As part of His family, realize the importance of having the Spirit of Christ in your life – each and every day.
How can we connect today’s God’s Story to our lives?
Our spiritual thermometer isn’t easily gauged. We can ‘feel’ great, but not actually be following Jesus. Or we can not ‘feel’ good at all, but have a close and growing relationship with Christ. We can’t use our feelings to determine how we are doing spiritually.
To be sure we are not running empty spiritually we must always be connected with the Father (abiding) and daily seeking the inward filling of the Holy Spirit (empowerment). Jesus took the time, often in the midst of the most busy times of his ministry, to seek God’s will, pray, give thanks, and ask His Father for help.
Even if we are .54 cents short of being full, we are still short. Plugging into the Lord is the only way we can be totally full.
How can we connect today’s story, God’s Story scripture, and our story to others?
After reading this and before you start a conversation with someone, take at least 5 minutes to pray. Ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Request wisdom for the choices that you may have to make today – even if they’re small.
Surrender your will to the Father and seek His will. Continue to study the scriptures or begin spending time in the Word daily. By being connected to the Lord, your story and God’s story will shine through your life. You’ll be able to impact your friends life story!
Don’t get caught empty of God’s grace. You can fill up anytime, anywhere, at any place. And it won’t even cost you .54 cents!
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