“Running on Empty”

When I was a teenager there was a song by Jackson Browne, “Running on Empty,”
from the same titled album. The song basically talked about running hard at life &
finding you’re not even sure of the direction you’re running & why. Many people find themselves in the same state, not sure where they’re headed but they’re getting there really fast! Without direction or purpose in life it can surely leave you disillusioned. Even IF you have direction, without power & encouragement you can feel like you’re running on empty.

Without God’s filling & power we are basically hollow shells bouncing about life. It doesn’t matter how fast we get there if there is not where we’re hoping for or needing to be! Stands to reason that if we’re not sure where we should be heading we should ask the Creator what His purpose & direction for us should be. Seems a sad waste to spend a whole life chasing hard to fulfill us & find purpose when, in fact, we’ve never even taken stock of what direction we should be chasing.

Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, physicist & religious philosopher said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” God created us to need filling! He also commanded us to set aside time to ‘recreate’ & be refilled by Him as we worshipped! There is an old quip, “Seven days without prayer makes one weak.”

Another writer said, “We all have a God-shaped void in our lives that only Jesus can fill.” Different way of saying pretty much the same thing. We need God to fill us up! Interesting thing is that God often uses people to help you along. While people may aggravate & agitate the fire out of you, they are also God’s instruments to bless us.

I’ve shared before how important it is to plug into & connect with a body of believers. Again, as John Donne the English poet, said, “No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." Well, before I wax too ‘eloquent’, suffice it to say you NEED brothers, sisters & friends to encourage you on in this life because, guess what? The bell tolls for you!

God was so serious about our spending times of rest, encouragement & worship that He COMMANDED us to set aside time to rest & worship Him every week. It’s right up there at the top of the list in the 10 Commandments. “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”Exodus 20:8-11 NLT

The writer of Hebrews also told us in the New Testament how important it is to gather together & encourage each other: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT

While I haven’t run out of words or ways to encourage you, I’ve pretty much run out of time & space. I simply want to encourage you to not keep on ‘running on empty.’ Spend time with God each day. Set aside a day each week & join in a bible teaching church & worship God. You need it & we need each other. Most importantly, make sure you KNOW this God!

Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell- 870-217-9376
http://www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport
BCM Website: http://www.bcmasunewport.org
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