Do you have teenagers at your house? Mine are off at college now, but I know when they’re home, especially my son. All I have to do is look on the kitchen counter. If the Gatorade pitcher is sitting there empty, then Sam is home.
He is one of the smartest people I know, however, he has yet to figure out when the pitcher is empty it’s time to make more. Or maybe he’s the smartest person I know because he has me trained to make more (usually while he’s still asleep so he doesn’t have to listen to me gripe and complain about leaving an empty pitcher on the counter).
While someone else may be able to come behind you and fill a pitcher of Gatorade, no one else can fill your spirit for you. You have to make the effort. You have to make time daily to be with the Lord.
There is no such thing as second hand Christianity.
In the Old Testament we read of how God led the Israelites in the wilderness because of their disobedience. During that time, He provided everything they needed to survive. Food fell from heaven each day for them [Exodus 16]. He only provided enough food for one day, requiring they rely on Him day by day.
When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He reminded them the Lord would provide what they needed one day at a time [Matthew 6:11]. This not only builds a dependency on Him, it also builds a relationship.
When we fail to spend time with the Lord each day, we face our day depleted of what we need. We’re running on empty, or close to it. When this becomes a habit, we find ourselves in big trouble. We lose sight of the tank and don’t know where to turn, even if we recognize our need to be filled.
The precious girls I’ve been privileged to meet and mentor who have come out of the sex trade have experienced this in epic proportions. If they’ve ever known God, they typically have moved far from Him, in many cases without choice. Their tanks are so bone dry they don’t know where to turn. As a result, they feel helpless, lost and alone. It is during those times, they need someone to be a friend and carry them to Jesus [Luke 5:19]. Now, once there, the transaction that takes place is between them and Jesus.
As the old saying goes,
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
As I’ve told my girls more times than I can count, I cannot want their healing more than they do. It just won’t work and the same is true about someone you love and their faith. You can’t want for them to have a deep, intimate relationship for Jesus and make it happen. The journey with Jesus is individual. The road is narrow [Matthew 7:13-14]. It’s made for a single file line.
What you can do, is get them a little closer to the Filling Tank. Getting there is half the battle. Once there, the Attendant will take over.
Look at your spiritual gage. Is it on full? If not, the Station is always open and the Attendant is eager to see you. Why not pull in and allow Him to fill you up?
Leave A Comment