Is Your "Faith Tank" Running on Empty?

Before I left for Austin on Sunday, I made sure to get my car filled with gas. I was thinking the closer I go South, maybe the gas shortage could create a “treasure hunt” to find gas – not to mention the price of gas might be higher as I travel further South also. I did notice, as I traveled South that there were empty gas stations – no gas available, so I was glad I had filled up before leaving Frisco.

I thought I’d stop in at my favorite gas station, Buc-ee's, and its ginormous store, At Buc-ee’s, you’ll find every snack and meal you can imagine, drink, home décor, Texas themed apparel and lots of Buc-ee’s name brand merchandise. Best of all, they have really nice and clean bathrooms -- and no waiting -- plenty room for busloads. This Buc-ee’s is just South of Temple, TX which is about 75 miles from my kids’ home in Austin. To my delight, even though there were plenty of their 60+ pumps shut down, they had plenty that were open at a gas price of $2.29 a gallon for unleaded gas. I filled up just in case Austin stations were low on gas. Unfortunately, Premium and Diesel gas wasn’t available.

On my way back home to Tulsa, yesterday, I went back to Buc-ee’s and even more pumps were shut down, but the few remaining, gave me the opportunity to fill up for my trip home and beyond.

Friends in my Frisco community told me that Dallas is having an unusual gasoline shortage. I posted about the craziness I encountered when I was filling my car up last Saturday. Apparently, the craziness was because word got out that Hurricane Harvey could cause massive gas shortages. As a result, thousands of people in our area rushed to gas pumps, which, if they were open, the line stretched for hours.

Isn’t that craziness like our culture today? People get all worked up about politics, a flu virus, global warming, Wall Street’s ups and downs, the cost of gasoline or the lack thereof. They watch dismal news stations 24-7 and they over-react and start complaining and expressing fear to those around them.

I’ll admit I was a bit cautious about traveling to Austin because I needed to be back home for meetings yesterday and if there was a gas shortage, I’d miss my must-be-at meetings. But, then I took a deep breath and settled my “unsettledness” with my favorite scripture “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways (the highways and byways) acknowledge Him, He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5,6). I like to think that my stopping at Buc-ee’s was Him directing my paths. He was there for me going AND coming!!

Maybe it’s time for us to look at our own lives and what we need to make it with a “full tank” of high octane fuel to be our best, but not just during short bursts or when we need to be at our “peak.” We want to live and maintain our full potential, to reach and sustain what is called “high performance.” High performance is that living “above and beyond” the fray. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Maybe it’s time for us to look at how our faith and attitude measures up during times like these. We need to consider is our "faith tank" full of high octane fuel to help us go the distance? An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of the performance of an engine. How is your engine (your mind, will and emotions) running? Is it performing at its best? Our we running on the bare minimum of just aa little “God additive” with a thought towards Him occasionally in our day? Of course, He is always with us and never forsakes us, but what if we put in the premium fuel that includes “living in His presence” where we acknowledge Him regularly throughout our day and even spend time in His Word – soaking in the peace that passes understanding, the joy of the Lord which is our strength, the love that never fails and the confidence that "Our God reigns" and our God lives big in us. With that kind of "additive" how could we not be thriving and getting extra mileage for the journey?