I don’t know about you, but throughout my life I have experienced times of emptiness. Suddenly, Christmas is the New Year and the New Year is already more of the same old stuff from last year. I know that sometimes things just don’t work out the way they’re supposed to. There just isn’t a ‘happily ever after’ every time. The right team doesn’t win every game. But, as Christians are we always supposed to be filled to overflowing. Doesn't faith always run at full?
Truth is Christians aren’t always filled to overflowing with faith. I know faith isn’t supposed to dwindle. Faith is supposed to grow. But this world isn’t perfect and neither am I. But what do you do when you are empty, run down, and feeling desperate?
It should comfort you to know that some of the greatest heroes in the Bible struggled with a sense of emptiness. One striking example of this is found in John the Baptist. John was Jesus’ cousin and he was also a preacher. John was no ordinary preacher. He was a rough and tumble, pull-no-punches preacher who had no problem calling it like he saw it.
John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 NIV
John had no doubt at all who Jesus was and declared it for all who could hear. But remember this same out spoken John found himself in trouble for speaking out (in truth) about Herod’s sin. As a result, John found himself under arrest and in jail. In that jail cell, the truth did not seem so cut and dry to him. All that John had once believed now was not so certain. Perhaps, you can relate as life steps in and delivers a blow to all the faith you claim. Can you relate?
It would be nice to be able to do what John did. John sends a couple of his friends to Jesus to get some answers:
He sent them to the Lord to ask,
"Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"
Luke 7:19 NIV
The question that John asks is a great reminder that even the staunchest of believers occasionally are in need of a refill – a refill of faith. Don’t feel so bad when those moments of doubt come into your life. Don’t give in to the voice in your head that tells you what a bad Christian you are, that tells you how weak, how faithless you are – Don’t give in, but instead be reminded that you are not alone. You are no different than John the Baptist.
You are simply trying to live out your faith while momentarily running on empty. Be encouraged. You are not the first to have your faith run empty. There is more good news … or perhaps there is better news!
Jesus gave John (and you and I) an answer to the question posed:
So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Luke 7:22 NIV
I hope, like me, that you can appreciate the fact that Jesus did not respond to John’s question with a sermon on faith. The amount of material at Jesus’ disposal from the OT alone could have afforded Him the opportunity to preach for hours! John needed a refill – not a lecture on half-full versus half-empty. John needed a lifeline not a lecture. You and I (your friends) need a lifeline, a refill – not a lecture! SO, Jesus gave him just what he needed.
Jesus urged John to look again at Jesus and what Jesus was doing and be refilled. That’s what Jesus always does – gives us just we need. When we are empty, we need to look again at Jesus.
I know you must be thinking, “It can’t be that simple. There has to be more to refilling my faith. You don’t understand how empty I am!” Nope. It really is that simple. If there was more to it, I am confident Jesus would have said so. There is no way Jesus would have given a close friend a flawed answer. There is no way Jesus would give you a flawed answer.
So, there it is - a simple plan to refill your faith - Spend time with Jesus.
Remember your experience with Jesus.
Remember what brought you to faith in Jesus in the first place.
The plan hasn’t changed. After all the years have passed, faith refills are still FREE and still available.
We must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us.
We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete.
Hebrews 12:1-2 CEV
Our problem is that we want to over complicate things. We assume that something as valuable as a faith refill ought to cost something. Therefore, we attempt to acquire it through physical activity. Remember when Jesus went to visit Mary and Martha? Martha fretted around while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Jesus remarked that Mary had discovered the one thing in life that was important. (Luke 10:38-42)
We have yet to learn the lesson. When it comes to faith, we try to squeeze more activity into our crowded schedules in hopes that our faith will grow. We restart our daily devotions for the umpteenth time. We run out and buy the latest Christian best seller and fill it with marks from our yellow highlighter.
We make sacrifices in our giving and we recommit for the umpteenth time to do away with the nasty habit we have tried to shake off for years. But it doesn’t work. It never seems to work. We still feel drained. We are still empty. We still are left feeling like we don’t have enough faith.
Frenzied activity, even well intentioned, just saps our strength and leaves us empty. The activity fills our lives, but not our faith. It fills us with the noise of life and drowns out the quiet and still voice that is trying to speak to us.
So, get away from the office. Get away from the kitchen. Get away from the computer, the smart phone, the ipod, the ipad, the whatever, and just park yourself at the feet of Jesus.
I want you to remember what Jesus did.
I want you to remember what Jesus said.
I want you to think about the difference Jesus has made in people’s lives.
I want you to remember why you fell in love with Jesus to begin with.
And then when all that happens . . .
You will be changed.
Your strength will be renewed.
Your passion will be rekindled.
Your joy will be restored.
And your faith will be refilled.
Lord,
We are empty
We are tired
We need something ….
Help us from running to the next quick fix …
Allow us permission to sit in quiet,
Allow us time to commit to weekly worship,
Reveal to us moments of prayer and reflection
And in our time with you
Help us to discover the rest you promise
And allow us to refill our faith as we catch glimpses of You in our lives ….
Amen
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