NO Gas, NO Go

April 26, 2010 at 7:21 pm · Filed under Christianity, God's Love, Jesus Christ

NO GAS, NO GO
(Ephesians 5:18; Psalm 92:10, Acts 1:8)

The advent of spring represents for many, the return to yard work, including cutting the lawn. As I was halfway done mowing, my machine slowly clunked to a halt. In no uncertain terms, it was telling me that it was time for a gas refill.

My lawnmower is about a year old and has not given me much to worry about. Yet, like any machine with a motor, it needs gas and oil to achieve its purpose. I quickly got out the gas can, refilled my lawnmower with the needed fuel and continued my spring day task.

It is so interesting how God can provide teaching moments in our lives, in addition to the time we spend in prayer, or being assembled with other believers in worship. There are times where work, marriage and even nature are God’s lessons to grow us. Without gas, my mower was not mowing any further until it was refilled with gasoline. Periodically, it will need oil as well.

My lawnmower running out of gas made me think about my walk with Papa God:
No gas, no go. No oil, no flow.
Likewise, not having needed fuel can mean defeat in the sports arena, failure for a factory, poverty in the life of a family. Or for a nation, it could lead to economic anarchy. America and other nations are at the mercy of oil-producing countries which can shut off imports of petroleum at the whim of their leaders.

Ironically, when children of God need fuel, there’s a merciful and lavish heavenly Father just waiting to refill us again and again with His Holy Spirit to overflowing power and grace. Tragically, many Christians and Christian movements beginning in the power of the Holy Spirit fall into the temptation of self-sufficiency and pride. Like adolescent children, a prosperous church feels it can do the works of God without the oil of grace from her heavenly Papa. The result of inertia and powerlessness will often follow, and the church’s ability to transform a community is limited to the four walls of its meeting place.

In the Book of Ephesians, Paul talks to a church that with God’s help, he raised and discipled. He instructed this church to become continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Life in the Spirit is not to be a one time experience, but the doorway to a life depending upon Papa God to do the impossible through his children and transforming the culture for His glory.

As we approach the Pentecostal season, may every day be a day in which we flow continually in the open Heaven blessings for which Jesus Christ provided through the shedding of his blood. May our walk in the Holy Spirit so influence our friends, relatives, culture, and other believers that they will crave for Papa’s best and walk in Kingdom power, as we do.

No gas…no go. No oil…no flow, is a lesson learned today.
It is also a kingdom-point God wants all of us to humbly grasp.
Be blessed my beloved and ‘be filled’.

Comments