Running on Empty

Why is it we can get so frustrated with the people around us?
Why is it that so many things can get us angry?
Why do we react so negatively when someone on the road is driving too slow, or doesn’t seem to know we’re they’re going? We might even call them names (names which we wouldn’t want to be called ourselves).
What about when the server behind the counter doesn’t make our sandwich quite the way we wanted it!
All this while we would have to admit that we’re a little short of perfection ourselves!!
What about the things we sometimes say about family members, neighbours, workmates, schoolmates, or Christian brothers & sisters?

You might say, as I might say, we’re only human after all!
But is that all that can be said?

Jesus has shined his light into our lives, given us of his grace, and offered to travel with us day by day. Jesus has called us into the service of the Kingdom of God – where, whether we like it or not, we are supposed to shine the light of Jesus into the lives of everyone we encounter.

This of course includes: the shop assistant who got our sandwich wrong, the server at Michel’s who made us a latte instead of a cappuccino, the check-out person at Coles who couldn’t pack our groceries properly, our neighbour who plays their music too loud, or the most annoying or uncooperative person at school, work or church.

Why are we here? Why has God created us? More to the point, why has God bothered to re-create us through Jesus? Answer > To share His love to all people – which isn’t just a statement about world evangelism – this obviously starts with the people we naturally encounter daily.

I would confess that if I personally have faults in this area, they are more likely to come out at home (when few people are watching) and be negatively directed at [my wife] Raelene, than at any other time. So what does this say about the state of my heart?

I’m only human!?! I think it actually says more.
I think it says that I have allowed myself to run on empty!

God has made a powerful lot of love available to me – how much of this have I been open to receive and apply in daily living?

If my car runs out of petrol, and therefore is just a useless hunk of metal, plastic and electronics … that is going nowhere, what do I need to do? Go to the petrol station and put some more petrol in the car and head off again!

If I find myself struggling to love others, then what do I need to do???
Go to the source of love, and seek to be refilled!

Our reading today [from Ephesians 4:29-5:2] expressed many important dynamics of living to the believers in the church in Ephesus, for the sake of the health of the church family there, but also for the sake of the integrity of their witness to the community at large.

(a) the control of the tongue, so that any words spoken would sure to be grace-filled and encouraging. Grace-filled words are words that take people closer to the source of spiritual grace. Encouraging words are those words that help people fulfil their potential in life, rather than withdrawing into isolation and despair.

(b) the removal of attitudes that are destructive to oneself and to others; often we prefer to hang on to certain bitterness toward another, or claim a certain sense of justice that gives us permission to remain angry or desire to get even, or feel so offended that we want things to go badly for another, or think we are so right that we can remain quarrelsome and unhelpful. This is rather than looking squarely at these things in terms of God’s grace and forgiveness – that He has already given to us, and wishes all others to experience as well. And we know that we cannot fully appreciate the benefit of forgiveness ourselves, while we hold back on forgiveness to others.

(c) adopting the attitude of kindness; so wonderfully depicted in the book of Ruth. That book was not just a lovely story, but a challenge to us all to adopt the practical everyday loving-kindness of God as exampled by Naomi, Ruth & Boaz. In this way we can truly be regarded as imitators of Jesus and of God.

We will fall back some days, but at least we will know that we are doing everything in our power to run our life with a full tank of fuel. We may even run out of fuel again in some places at some times, but at least we will know very clearly where to find the re-filling station this time around.

And, this is not to say that we should be pushovers for everyone who wants to take advantage of us (or put one over on us); rather this is about the overarching dynamic that directs our lives ie. God’s love! [The love that is truly kind will not hesitate to confront any issue that needs to be confronted, but will do so in a way that differentiates between the person and the problem. The love that is kind can show respect for the person while dealing with any problem. And of course, the first issues that should be confronted are “the logs in our own eyes”.]

We need to think about expressing God’s love in the same way as we are receiving it!

· God’s love will put up with irritating situations, and go on being kind. This is more than being patient with the annoying situation – this is actually seeking the best still for all involved in my irritation.
· God’s love will continue to be forgiving, even when the cost of such forgiveness involves personal sacrifice.

Each morning we should pray something like > “Help me today to open my being to Your invading love – then I can kindly cope with anything that comes to me.”

Having been penetrated by God’s love we are then truly caught up in something larger than ourselves – the higher purpose of life – what we were made for. When we experience God’s love working through us to the benefit of another we can knowingly say “I was made for this”!

Let us stand with those who our humanness may judge to be frustrating, ineffective, hopeless or in darkness, and allow them to see God’s love in us – a love that is more about what they can become (in Christ), than the behaviour that we now see.

After all, Jesus died as much for them, as he did for us.
God wants to relate to them as His children, just as much as He does with us.

So, if you feel that you’re running on empty the next time you face the annoying behaviour of another, remember:
· That God loves that person (as much as He does you)
· That God wants to love that person through you
· Appreciate how much God loves you – remember briefly all the times you have offended God – and then recall how much God is still seeking to love you (forgetting about all those offences following the forgiveness you sought and freely received)
· See Jesus on the cross loving that person annoying you
· Allow God’s love to so infiltrate you that you can’t help being kind to that person anywaySeek to walk in the light of Jesus (for all to see).