Tired Town
You people in Galatia were told very clearly
about the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. But you were foolish; you let
someone trick you. Tell me this one thing: How did you receive the Holy Spirit?
Did you receive the Spirit by following the law? No, you received the Spirit
because you heard the Good News and believed it. You began your life in Christ
by the Spirit. Now are you trying to make it complete by your own power? That
is foolish. Were all your experiences wasted? I hope not! Does God give you the
Spirit and work miracles among you because you follow the law? No, he does
these things because you heard the Good News and believed it. The Scriptures
say the same thing about Abraham: “Abraham believed God, and God accepted
Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.” (Gal. 3:1-6)
Turn north onto Stress
Boulevard (just a few miles east of Worrywart), then merge right at the fork in
the road that leads through Exhaustion Valley. There, you'll find yourself on the
run-down streets of Tired Town – a place where the residents really do live up
to the town’s name. They shuffle like pack mules on a Grand Canyon climb – eyes
down, faces long and shoulders slumped. And when you ask the residents to
explain their sluggish ways, they point to their cars. "You'd be tired too
if you had to push one of these," they say. And, to your amazement, that's
exactly what they’re doing. Shoulders pressing, feet digging, lungs puffing,
they muscle automobiles up and down the town’s streets. Rather than sitting
behind the wheel, they lean into the trunk. The sight is puzzling, to be sure, but
the sound is even more shocking. Because, listen. That’s right – the engines
are running. Residents of Tired Town turn the key, start the car, slip it into
neutral, and then – shove.
A young mom rolls
her minivan into the grocery store parking lot, and you ask, "Have you ever
thought of simply pressing the gas pedal?" "Oh sure I have. And I do,"
she says, brushing the sweat away. "I press the gas to start the car, and
then I take over." And just then, you hear a whistling noise behind you so
you turn around. And there stands an out-of-breath guy leaning against his
eighteen-wheeler, wheezing like an overweight marathoner. "Did you push
this truck?" "I did," he gasps, covering his mouth with an
oxygen mask. "But why not use the accelerator?" He cocks an eyebrow
and then boasts, "Because I'm a Tired trucker, and we're strong enough to
do our own work around here." Funny. The Apostle Paul asked the Galatian
church the same question: "You began your life in Christ
by the Spirit. Now are you trying to make it complete by your own power? That’s
foolish." (Gal. 3:3)
So, is God
nothing more than a jumper cable? You know, jump-start a new, spiritual life and
nothing more? Apparently, Corinthian Christians were pushing a few cars around,
too. "You are still not spiritual," the apostle accused them. (1 Cor.
3:3) Well, if that was true then what was Paul saying? Were they saved? Yes, because
he addressed them as "brothers and sisters." (1 Cor. 3:1) He considered
them to be God's children; saved and heaven-bound. But not spiritual. Plugged
in, but not flipped on. "Brothers and sisters . . . I had to talk to you
as I would to people without the Spirit – babies in Christ . . . You are still
not spiritual, because there is jealousy and quarreling among you, and this
shows that you are not spiritual. You are acting like people of the world."
(1 Cor. 3:1-3)
I used to think that
there were two kinds of people in the world: the saved and the unsaved. But Paul
explains a third: the saved, but unspiritual. The spiritual person is Spirit-dependent,
Spirit-directed, and Spirit-dominated. That person seeks to "walk in the
Spirit." (Gal. 5:16) The unspiritual person, on the other hand, cranks up the
car, sticks it in neutral, gets out of the vehicle and then pushes. Tragically,
these people act "like people of the world." (1 Cor. 3:3) In
language, lifestyle, priorities, and personality, they blend in with non-believers.
They let God save them, but not change them. Such carnal Christianity frustrated
Paul, so he reproves them – “You began your life in Christ by the Spirit, but now
you’re trying to make it on your own power. That’s foolishness." (Gal. 3:3
– my paraphrase) Foolish and miserable.
Frankly, you
don't want to carpool with unspiritual Christians because they don’t have any kind
words to share. "There’s jealousy and strife" among them, according
to Paul. (1 Cor. 3:3) The only joy they know graduated from high school last
year. And gratitude? For what? The two-ton Hummer
they push up the hill every day? Right. The saved but unspiritual see salvation
the way a farmer sees a hundred acres of untilled soil – lots of hard work. Church
attendance, sin resistance – have I done enough? No wonder they're tired. No
wonder they argue. "You’re jealous of one another and quarrel with each
other. Doesn't that prove you’re controlled by your own desires?" (1 Cor.
3:3) Harsh words. Joyless days. Contentious relationships. Thirsty hearts. You’d
find more excitement at an Amish prom. Who would ever want to live in Tired Town?
Better yet, who would
want to move there? Nothing repels non-Christians more than gloomy Christians.
No one wants a free truck if you have to push it. Your neighbor doesn't. You
don't. And God doesn't want it for any of us. He never intended for you to
perambulate your life. His word then for worn-out Christians? "As you
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live in him." (Col. 2:6) But
how do we receive Christ? The same way we live in him – by coming thirsty, drinking
deeply, and often. When you do, saving power becomes staying power. "God,
who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally
finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again." (Phil. 1:6)
Christ didn’t give
you a car and tell you to push it. He didn't even give you a car and tell you
to drive it. You know what he did? He threw open the passenger door, invited
you to take a seat, and told you to buckle up for the ride of your life. When
Christ enters the Tired Towns of this world, he stands at the intersection of Exhaustion
and Defeated avenues and says, "'If you’re thirsty, come to me! If you
believe in me, come and drink! Because the Scriptures declare that rivers of
living water will flow out from within.' (When he said 'living water,' he was
speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him)."
(John 7:37-39) "Come to me," Jesus says. Not "come to my church,"
or "come to my system," or “come to my religion.” But "come to
me!" Come to him and drink. No sipping. No tasting. It's time to take a
long, thirst-quenching drink because thirsty throats gulp water. And thirsty
souls guzzle Christ.
The margin notes
of this same scripture in the New American Standard Bible state: "Keep
coming to Me and . . . keep drinking." In other words, annual fill-ups or
monthly sips just won't do. You aren't sampling wine at a Temecula vineyard.
You're hiking through the Mojave desert. And that mirage you see? It’s not a
mirage at all, but is the very river of water that you need. So, dive in and
drink. And as you do, look what happens – “rivers of living water will flow out
from within." (John 7:38)
The word for “rivers”
can be translated “floods.” (See,
Matt. 7:25, 27; Rev. 12:15-16) And we've all seen torrents of water strong enough
to carry away homes. Newscasts run and re-run images of a house and other stuff
floating downstream. So what’s the force that can float a house down a raging
river? It’s a force that’s smaller than the power who floods you. "He was
speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him."
(John 7:39) God's Spirit. God's powerful, unseen, undeniable presence pulsating
through heart canals. A "spring of water gushing up inside that person,
giving eternal life." (John 4:14) God's Spirit rages within you. Whether
you feel him or not is unimportant. Whether you understand him is
insignificant. Jesus said, "Living water will flow out from within."
(7:38) Not "may flow," "could flow," or "has been
known to flow." But, "will flow."
If that’s the
case, then why are we so weary and irritable? If God's Spirit lives within us,
why do we have the compassion of a boat anchor? We can't tolerate our co-workers,
control our tempers, or forgive ourselves. And we’re tired. But God through
Paul answers that question with five rich words: "Be filled with the
Spirit." (Eph. 5:18) In fact, the verb tense would have caused original
readers to see capital letters: BE FILLED. With the same imperative that he
instructs, "Forgive," "Pray," and "Speak truth,"
God commands, "BE FILLED."
And not only
does Paul give a command; he gives a continuous, collective command. Continuous
in the sense that the filling is a daily privilege. Collective because the
invitation is offered to all people. "You all be filled with the Spirit." Young, old, servants,
businessmen, seasoned saints, and new converts. The Spirit will fill all. No test
is required. You don't need to persuade him to enter; he already has. In other
words, you’ve got company. "Your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who
is in you." (1 Cor. 6:19)
As a Christian,
you have all the power you need for all the problems you face. The real
question then is not, “How do I get more of the Spirit?” The real question is,
“How can you, Spirit, have more of me?” And we'd probably expect a Mother
Teresa-sized answer to that question, i.e.,
answers like build an orphanage, memorize the book of Leviticus, or bathe
lepers. Do that and be filled, we think. "Do this on your own and be
tired," God corrects. So do you desire God's Spirit? Well, here’s what you
do. Ask.
"Everyone who asks will receive. . . . You know how to give good
things to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:10, 13) The Spirit fills as prayers
flow. Do you want to be filled with strength? Then pray, "Lord, empowered
by your Holy Spirit, I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength."
(Phil. 4:13) Welcome the Spirit into every room of your heart.
I did something
similar with the air of my air conditioner this summer. Outside, the sidewalk has
been sizzling in brick-oven heat during the day. But as I step inside my house,
I'm as cool as the other side of the pillow. Why? Well, two reasons, really. One
is that an air conditioner sits next to the house. I didn’t build it. I didn’t
install it. It came with the mortgage. But when it’s on, credit the cool house
on a good air conditioner. But you have to give equal credit to the open vents.
I did not install the cool air maker, but I did open the air blockers. Cool air
fills the house because the vents are open. It wasn’t very complicated, either.
I just went from room to room and adjusted the levers to release the air.
The Holy Spirit
will fill your life as you do the same. Room by room, invite him to flow in.
Try this. Before you climb out of bed, mentally escort the Spirit into every
room of your house. Before your feet touch the floor, open each vent. Got anger
in a bedroom? Unpayable bills on a desk in the den? Conflicts in the kitchen?
Need some air in the family room, or a change of atmosphere in the hallways?
Invite him to fill each corridor and room of your life.
Then, having
welcomed him into your whole heart, go to your garage, climb into the passenger
seat, buckle up, and thank your Driver that you don't live in Tired Town anymore.
Grace,
Randy
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