January 20, 2023 — The Faith Mechanic

“One of my neighbors just got back from a road trip,” Stan commented one morning. “Last night he was telling me a lesson he learned — or re-learned — concerning how just about everything has a lesson for his faith walk if he’s open to seeing and hearing.”

“What was that all about?” I asked.

“About how important it is to have the right stuff in your gas tank, and what you’re supposed to do when you don’t.”

“What happened to show him that lesson?” I asked.

“Well,” Stan replied, “it seems that he wasn’t paying much attention one day when he had pulled into a self-serve gas station to fill the car. He was distracted by something and ended up filling the car with diesel fuel rather than with gasoline.”

“Wow,” I said, “that can really cause a lot of problems. Maybe even ruin the engine. Is that what happened to your neighbor?”

“No,” Stan replied. “He said that he realized what he had done after he filled the tank but before he had started the engine.”

“That was lucky,” I said, “Then what?”

“More than ‘luck’,” Stan replied. “It turned out that there was a mechanic at the gas station who was able to help, not only with the car, but also with his faith walk.”

“How so?”

“After my neighbor realized what he had done, he went in and told the cashier,” Stan replied. “She called the mechanic. They were able to push the car to where the mechanic could drain the tank of the diesel and fill it with the proper fuel.”

“So where did the faith-walk lesson come from?”

“The mechanic,” Stan replied. “Seems like he was more than just a car mechanic; he was also a faith mechanic.”

“Faith mechanic?”

“Yeah,” Stan replied. “My neighbor said that as he was thanking and paying the mechanic for his work, the mechanic told him that what he had done for the car was just like what Jesus did and what we’re supposed to do.”

“Just like what Jesus did and what we’re supposed to do? In what way?”

“The apostle Paul wrote about that in his letter to the church in Philippi,” Stan replied, “where he wrote about how Jesus emptied Himself and was obedient to the Father in going to the cross.”

“For our salvation and redemption,” I commented.

“Exactly,” Stan replied. “And, further, Jesus talked about denying or emptying ourselves as the first step in being disciples.”

“Empty or deny ourselves so we can then be filled with what God has for us to be filled with,” I said. “Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan replied. “That’s the second step of discipleship where we are to take up what God has for us to take up. If I’m not empty of self, there’s no room for Him and for what He has for me to be and to do while He keeps me on this side of eternity.”

“So,” I said, “first empty and then re-fill. Get rid of the wrong stuff, and be filled with what’s right.”

“You got it, my friend,” Stan replied with a smile.

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Bible verses to consider:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18.

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit . . . . Luke 1:15.

And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts of the Apostles 2:38.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving your only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him will have life eternally with you. Thank you that Jesus emptied Himself as the example of how we are to empty ourselves so we can be who, doing what, you intend for us. I confess that too often I do not empty and deny myself and, as a result, I cannot take up what you have for me to take up in being the disciple you intend for me to be. Please forgive the foolishness of not emptying me of me. Help me to follow every step of your lead so I do, in fact, empty myself of all that is in the way of being filled just as you intend. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you emptied yourself in the eternal sense so you know you will spend eternity in God’s presence when it’s time? If no, why have you not accepted His free and gracious provision? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with emptying or denying yourself so you can take up or be filled with what God has for you? If you sense the need for change in being emptied and filled, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?