God’s gas station

/ The Pastor

The epistle text for this Sunday (11th Sunday after Pentecost) is from Hebrews 11 where it talks about faith.  Verse 1 says this, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

When I hear this basic definition of faith from Hebrews 11 I picture this "formula" in my mind: 
<HOPE> –> add some <ASSURANCE> –> and this leads to a held <CONVICTION> of something.

OR

<HOPE of something more to this life> –> add <ASSURANCE that Jesus died for your sins that you may have eternal life> –> this leads to a <CONVICTION> or <FAITH> that there is indeed something more to this life.

But what happens when we stop going to worship or stop praying or stop engaging scripture?  We stop hearing or experiencing this ASSURANCE that we all need to hear.  Therefore we start to run out of "gas".  And I definitely know this feeling.  I don’t stop going to worship but I have experienced times when my prayer life and devotional practices have slowed down.  It is in those moments when I feel "tired".  Basically…running out of gas.  I spend all my time feeding others and encouraging others to "refuel" their faith that I sometimes forget to practice what I preach.  Busyness is one of Satan’s best weapons.  We think we are doing God’s work when all the while we are draining our own faith life.  Satan loves nothing more.

And I think that is what has been happening to me this summer.  I haven’t been pulling up to "God’s gas station" nearly enough.  I haven’t been "feeding" myself nearly enough and because of that I have felt a little drained all summer long. 

Well…that’s going to stop.

We need to constantly hear and experience the assurance of forgiveness and salvation to endure in this world.  We need our hope re-energized and our convictions strengthened.  This can not be done in isolation from God or others.  Throughout scripture God has proved to be faithful.  God has proved to be true.  This we can not receive from the world — its only from God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I have committed myself to a running program to re-energize my body and to train for a 1/2 marathon.  Now I need to commit myself (once again) to re-energizing my heart and soul (on a regular basis) through a more regular prayer and devotional life.  Busyness aside — God needs to come first.

So stay in the Word.  Keep praying.  And hear God’s assurance of forgiveness and salvation for your life.  Jesus died FOR YOU and FOR ME. 

I think I am starting to feel a little bit better.  Amen.
-edh-

9 thoughts on “God’s gas station”

  1. I pray for you that you tank will be refilled with the good stuff. I can relate to what you are expressing. Last year I was doing devotions on the Fruit of the Spirit and found that the one about self-control was hardest. Not so much about an indulgent lifestyle as the disposition to take on too much, rather than prayerfully considering first what should be my focus. The busyness. A new perspective on self-control and self-care. But so right to now take time to re-energize, remember the joy of life in Christ and center your self. When in Romans Paul writes that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, I think it means not just what others do, but no matter what we do or fail to do, God is still there faithfully waiting, and carrying us when we don’t even realize it. Peace and blessings to you.

  2. Brother

    any thoughts on the ELCA allowing gay ministers who are in a committed relatioship?

    Do you think the ELCA will Split seeing as the vote was almost 50/50?

    Would your church council split over this?

    Our council President is a gay woman, I like her alot, but I do not think I would attend a church with a gay pastor.

    May God bless you on your Marathon adventure. I have to tell you that one of the best is here on Mackinac Island the weekend after labor day ( 6 mile run) or walk, The view is breathtakeing and we have water staions with voulteers handing out cups of water as the runner go by.

    It is sponcered by the Kiwanis club

    Blessings.
    Rick

  3. Well, I just popped in to say I like the “gas station” metaphor. assurance of forgiveness being the “fill ‘er up”.
    I’ve been thinking a lot about the bridge in terms of faith, and faith foundations…what and who do we trust… and how faith is not an intellectual thing, but a trusting relationship that leads to action. Abram trusted God… so he left for that country he never saw before…

  4. Thank you for your words of encouragement. My wife and I were at a wedding in the cities yesterday and got home around midnight last night. I totally expected to be moving slow this morning, but I feel energized and ready to go this morning– more so than I have felt in quite some time. I feel that my “tank” is being filled up. Thank you.

    Rick — I haven’t heard much what happened in Chicago and I am not sure if I can answer your questions in a comment. I will need to read more about the assembly and then write a post in response to it (so I am not blowing you off here). But you do bring up good questions, though.

    Thanks for your comments. God bless.

  6. Rick — Thanks for the link. I have also been tracking down some other sites to find some information. Expect a post with my reaction of the Churchwide assembly

  7. I’ve been tracking down some info too… looked into “cognitively dissonant” myself. Not sure what I think. A couple of people have asked me what I think, but not many so far… from different “sides of the aisle,” so to speak.

  9. One of the best things I have ever done was get into the rhythm of daily prayer. I was introduced to the daily office at my high church episcopal seminary, and have found it deeply rewarding ever since. I do occassionally fall out of practice, but I find it easy to slip back into that rhythm.

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