Running on (Almost) Empty

Why it’s important to keep an eye on our spiritual gas tanks.

(3 Minute Read)

By Heidi Schartner

It’s happened to us once—that gas level indicator approached empty far sooner than we had anticipated. And sure enough, we rolled over to the side of the road in a bit of disbelief that it happened to us. You see, I am the prepared one. I’m the ‘planned it all out well’ one. Running out of gas  (with our trailer in tow) just doesn’t happen to me. 

Until it did. 

It was windy and and the road was hilly. We were lost in conversation. We really just hadn’t paid close enough attention to that indicator… even though it was telling us all along that we were low. Dangerously low. And really, there aren’t any excuses to justify us running out (no leak in the tank, no factory recall). We simply weren’t paying attention and thought we could go further than we could. 

Fortunately, we were pretty close to a gas station and my husband got on his bike and came back shortly thereafter with a jerry can filled to the brim. It was enough for us to get to the gas station. There, we could fill our tank up right to the brim. 

The memory of him biking back with that jerry can is still cause for some great laughs but we were lucky. What we needed was within reach. 

How often do we push further than we should without really checking in on how we’re doing? 

How often do we ignore the signs that are glaring us in the face that are telling us to get help?

Ministry work is tricky. It is also an honour. It is also exhausting. Jesus trained His disciples so that they were prepared to continue His work. But they were never alone. They had each other, the support of other followers, the support of the churches. Was it easy? Absolutely not. But 1 Corinthians 12:14 tells us, “For the body is not one member, but many.”

Be mindful of your spiritual tank. Ask those you trust to help you gauge how you’re doing. And remember, help is closer than you think. Ask God to guide your way. 

A QUESTION FOR YOU:

When have you ignored the signs that your tank is getting empty? What did you do (or can you do) to refill it?

“For the body is not one member, but many.” (1 Corinthians 12:14)