Running on Fumes?

Fill the Tank

When our car gets low on gas, we say it’s running on fumes, but sometimes we can feel like we’re running on fumes. We may feel like we can’t go on any further, that we have nothing left to keep us going. Our spiritual fuel tank might be empty, and we might feel like we’re on the verge of a breakdown. Our circumstances might seem overwhelming, and our resources might feel depleted. We might feel hopeless and weak. Just like with a car, we cannot drive effectively on an empty tank. We will sputter and stall. We need to fill our tank with fuel, and that fuel is the fuel of God’s Word. If we’re going to persevere in the Christian life, we must continually fill our tanks with the truth and encouragement of God’s Word. It is vital for our ability to function effectively, just as gas is crucial for a car. Imagine trying to make it to a destination in a car that barely has any gas in it. (Maybe we’ve been in that situation). It is a stressful experience. In the same way, if we do not fuel ourselves with God’s Word, we will experience greater stress and strain in life. Reading the Bible daily helps us navigate the challenges of life with the benefit of God’s perspective and not our own. We can fill the fuel tank of our hearts and minds with the truth that helps us keep going. It fuels us for the road ahead. 

Finish the Race

Scripture often uses the illustration of a race when describing the life of a Christ follower. You can’t win a race unless you run all the way to the end. You certainly will not be the winner if you give up midway through. You must finish to win. In the race of life, the Bible tells us to keep running, to persevere. In Hebrews 12, we’re challenged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith.” Just like runners in a physical race can face fatigue and exhaustion, we can feel defeated and weary in the race of life. The author of Hebrews encourages us to consider Jesus’ endurance so that we will not grow weary or fainthearted. Sometimes it’s easy to think, “Of course Jesus endured! He’s God!” But we would be wise to remember that Jesus was fully human as well as fully divine, and Hebrews 4 tells us that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” That means Jesus faced temptation just like we do, even the temptation to give up. We see a glimpse of that temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before Jesus was to be crucified. In Matthew 18, we read the words of Jesus when he said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.” As he agonized in prayer, Jesus asked the Father to let the cup pass from him. In other words, he knew the road ahead would be incredibly difficult and was expressing his anguish to the Father. Yet, and this is the key, he prayed that the Father’s will would be done and not his own. He surrendered to the perfect plan of God the Father. He walked forward in obedience, despite the agony he faced. Jesus understands our struggle to persevere. He has already travelled that road, and now, he walks beside us. If we want to endure, we must look to Him, fixing our eyes on Him and relying on His strength. He is more than able to help us finish the race.

So, when you feel like you’re running on fumes…

Fuel yourself with the Word of God. Focus on Jesus, the Word incarnate, and know that He walks with you. Finish the race by relying on the strength God provides.