Running On Empty
Read your Bible; Pray everyday!
When I was kid my parents taught me and my brothers to set aside some time every day for what they called, “Quiet Time”. Now, this was different from a “Time Out” and I can assure you I had plenty of those… No, "Quiet Time" was a set time each day where my brothers and I would find a quiet place with our Bible, a notebook, some highlighters and a pen, and then we’d spend time with God.
Our lives were crazy! With four boys, my parents were always carting us to some sporting event, practice, or after-school activity. Then there were our normal responsibilities of homework, housework, and physical fitness. Add to all of that was the life of a pastor's family. Church functions, sudden hospital visits, and just about anything and everything else would occupy valuable time in our lives. My parents knew that if we weren't careful, our family would run out of fuel and we'd be living on fumes. Before anything else AND after everything else we needed to spend time refueling from our source of power and strength...our Heavenly Father.
Honestly, as a kid, this discipline wasn’t always appealing to me. Sometimes it was forced and sometimes I just went through the motions. But now I recognize this discipline as an invaluable and indispensable part of my life. What I’ve learned is that I absolutely can’t make it without Jesus in my life.
There’s an old and simple chorus that we use to sing as kids…
Read your bible
Pray everyday
And you’ll grow, grow, grow.
It really is true. We need the fuel of God’s Word and the power of His presence that’s activated through prayer in order to live as God intends.
Ask yourself…
- Am I tired all the time?
- Does every little thing push me over the edge?
- Am I trying to fix things on my own?
- Am I trying to control situations that are out of my control?
- Am I constantly giving in to temptation?
- Am I always dreaming of a different life rather than choosing to make a difference with the life I have?
If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions, you are trying to make it on your own! You're running on empty. You're running on fumes. You’re trying to live life in your own power and eventually you'll run out of gas, sputtering along, desperately trying to reach your next destination. I’ll write more on the "How-To's" later, but for now, start living in His power by just opening up your Bible and soaking His truth in.
Have some quiet time. Talk to God about your exhaustion. Tell him what’s pushing you over the edge. Ask for his help instead of trying to fix stuff on your own. Surrender control. Ask for His power to resist temptation. Thank Him for the life you have and ask Him to help you make a difference in others’ lives! Stop running on empty!! Just take a next step by doing these two things: read your Bible and pray everyday! Do those two things and you will grow in His strength!
Make this a prayer of yours today and everyday.
“God, I need you in my life. I can’t make it on my own.”
Pray it as often as you can think of it!