Running on Empty

My next stop? The gas station. I headed out a few mornings ago and realized the vehicle was on empty; I mean dash light on, below empty. I allowed the gas tank to nearly run out before filling up as I’ve done before. If I don’t stop and refuel, I will have an embarrassing story to tell. Why do I do this? I can get gas anytime, but sometimes I put it off. Maybe I think I can go a little further or think I am too busy to stop. It doesn’t save gas or money, but it has the potential to mess up my whole day. Sometimes you have to stop and refuel. I don’t care how much you slow down, keep up on your car’s maintenance, or purchase a vehicle with unbelievable gas mileage capabilities; you will need to stop and refuel. If I run out of gas, whose fault is it? The gas station hasn’t moved. I chose to drive by without stopping!

Our life is the same. You can’t keep going and giving without stopping to refuel. If your spirit was a fuel tank, how full would you say it is right now? Are you filled to overflowing? Do you have enough to get you through the day? The week? Or are you running on fumes? When you run on fumes or empty, you hurt yourself and those close to you. You can’t keep using your resources without taking time to replenish them.

One of the ways we keep our spiritual tank full is by spending time daily with the Lord. The most trustworthy source of refueling our souls we can ever find is time alone with Jesus. God has also designed a unique concept to help us. It’s called a Sabbath. It’s a day out of our week to rest from labor, reflect on what He has done, and have God-focused downtime. Genesis 2:2 tells us that God had His first Sabbath ever when He rested after completing creation, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” God Himself modeled and designed the Sabbath principle in creation. He was setting an example for us to follow.

Sabbath is a biblical concept of taking one day to rest and worship. The word “Sabbath” is related to a Hebrew root that means “cease” or “stop.” God commanded His people in the Old Testament to cease from their labor, so they could rest, refresh, and refuel. He had set His people free from slavery in Egypt. As children of God, they were no longer bound to work nonstoplike slaves. God gave them the gift of rest, a day to cease from working, and a day to honor Him. The Jews were to observe a weekly Sabbath. Jesus practiced the Sabbath, and the disciples continued this practice. Sabbath is good for you. People tend to take extremes in their understanding of the Sabbath. Some make it more work than God designed it to be. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).”

If you’re not careful to set priorities, you can become obsessed with work and believe that you don’t have time for rest. Jesus said to His disciples, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile” (Mark 6:31). Jesus, the most in-demand person who ever lived, said that, and He is our example. So, if He took a day off in the week, you and I need one too!

When Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant in 1946, The Dwarf House, he established closing on Sundays. That was an accepted practice back then, but now it’s highly unusual, especially for a restaurant chain. But Cathy, a committed Christian, never wavered. And rather than costing him, it paid huge dividends. He built one of the most popular and profitable food chains in the USA: Chick-fil-A. God knows that the fastest way to burn out is to try to burn the candle at both ends. That’s why the Bible says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work” (Exod. 20:10).

Let me encourage you to set aside time to reflect on God and His work in your life without concerning yourself with work-related issues. Find ways to experience personal rest and restoration. Spend time with family. Choose a day of the week or part of a day that works for your Sabbath rest. God as Father commanded us to have a day to fellowship with Him and with those close to us. He has designed us with the need for rest and restoration. As we ask God to help us implement the Sabbath rest principle He planned for us, we will live with more wholeness and fruitfulness in our ministries and lives. May we observe the Lord’s counsel and example as we take the time to refuel our spiritual fuel tanks. Every week God gives you a one-day Sabbatical. So, take it!