Fill ‘Er Up Please

by Amber Leggette-Aldrich 4/13/2010

A few years ago I heard someone talking about how people could be compared to cars. Now in our modern world, most people know what a car is and the basics of how it works. There is an engine, which would be like our internal organs: the heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. There is a transmission, which would be like our bones, causing forward and backward motion. There is a steering wheel that gives the direction, which would be like our mind. And there is a gas tank that holds the fuel, which would be like our spirit. And it is the gas tank that I would like to focus on for now.

What happens to a car when the gas tank is empty? It won’t go anywhere. So if our spirit is like a gas tank, what happens when it is empty? We (our life) won’t go anywhere. With a car, you go to a gas station and get more gas. But where do you go to refill your spirit? To the Holy Ghost filling station, of course!

As you may have guessed, God is the owner of the Holy Ghost filling station. And get this, His “gas” is FREE! In fact, you cannot buy His gas with any amount of money, nor can you barter or work for it. There is but one requirement to receive it: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38) From that point on, every “fill up” is totally free!

(Just a little note here for those of you that own one of those new electric cars…they run on batteries instead of gas, but those batteries still need charging. So just think of God as the “juice” that gives the charge.)

So, just like a car uses up it’s fuel and needs to be replenished, so do our spirits need to be replenished. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2,…”but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.

Many people think that once they get baptized, that’s it, they’re filled up for good. But it doesn’t quite work that way. There are things in everyday life that will come against you. Things like finances, family troubles, accidents, dealing with grumpy neighbors, health issues, etc., all these things will drain your spirit. These are the kinds of things that cause the faces of depression, anguish, frustration, even anger and hatred! But if those are the kinds of faces we show, how in the world are we ever going to convince anyone that the Spirit of God is good? Who in their right mind would ever want that?

Now Christians are supposed to be representatives of Christ, our Savior. We are supposed to be like a light, shining in the darkness for all the world to see. “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light“. (Luke 11:33) The Bible doesn’t tell us to show a spirit of woe and despair or defeat, although there may be times when we feel that way temporarily. And those are the times when we need a refill the most!

Look again at the last part of Romans 12:2, “that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. So how do we “prove” anything? By showing it! And how do we show that God’s will is good? With His spirit in us, which should be a joyful one. Now I don’t mean that we should be walking around with a goofy grin on our face all the time. The dictionary defines the word “joy” as: a source of happiness or delight. And in order to maintain a joyful spirit in a world full of darkness, we need to keep getting our “spirit tanks” filled up! How? By reading the Bible, going to church, fellowship, prayer, just to name a few. Sometimes I go to a quiet place, on top of a mountain or out in the woods, and I observe the beauty around me that is God’s creation. And in the wonder and enjoyment of it, I thank Him and praise Him!

When I was baptized, for a short time I felt so happy inside, and it showed on the outside! Several of my friends commented on noticing a change in me. But soon, life set in again. I began to feel the same old emotions, the same old attitudes, the same old circumstances were still there. After a while, I began to wonder what was wrong? I went to church every Sunday, and I read the Bible (also every Sunday). And I prayed, (you guessed it) every Sunday. But throughout the week, I was still living in the dark, still struggling in my stubborn independence, trying to do everything on my own. I’d get filled up on Sunday, but my tank would be empty by Monday afternoon, and then I’d have to push myself along for the rest of the week! There were times when the road of life had a downhill slant (when things were going my way) and I was able to “coast” along for a little while. But inevitably, there would be an uphill climb somewhere along the way, and that’s when things would get really difficult. In fact, I came very close to getting run over by my own vehicle a few times because I couldn’t bear the weight to push it by myself!

My van came with an owner’s manual, and it states that I can travel approximately 370 miles on a tank of gas. So if I plan to take a 500 mile trip, I know I’m going to have to stop for some gas along the way or I’m not going to make it to my destination. The owner’s manual regarding my “spirit tank” (the Bible) doesn’t give approximate mileage however! But instead it says that I am supposed to be constantly replenishing my spirit in God. The words “quick to” appear many times throughout the Bible…quick to forgive, quick to pray, quick to receive, in other words, quick to go to God in everything. I began to realize that I put a lot more miles on my spirit than I do my van, so it must be filled up a lot more often.

When I first began to realize that I needed more fill ups, I thought to myself, “so am I just supposed to move in to the church and read the Bible and pray all day long everyday?” Well of course that’s not the answer! But what I did do was get up a few minutes earlier everyday and say a short prayer. And I made it a point to read at least 1 verse from the Bible each night before going to bed. And it made a difference! Soon, prayers and praise were being incorporated into all kinds of situations and times throughout every day. And it has been keeping my spirit filled ever since!

Now, no matter where I am, or what my circumstances are, I know that I need to continue to grow closer to God. I know that I need God in every area of my life, and I need Him every day! In order for me to keep my “tank” full, I go to the Holy Ghost filling station every single day, sometimes several times in a day, and say, “fill ‘er up, please”! His station is always open, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year…Hallelujah!

(Just one more quick note: since Jesus is the one behind my steering wheel now, I no longer have to worry about going around in circles and getting lost, or going the wrong way on a one way street. He is a much more awesome driver than I ever was, and I can sit back and enjoy the scenery along the way!)

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