The Filling Station!

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Our family lived and grew up in a small rural south Georgia town where most everyone knew each other. Almost every business in town was owned and operated by at least an acquaintance, if not a friend or extended family member. For example, my uncle Wallace owned People’s Supply, a tractor dealership and supply. My uncle Hudson owned the Firestone dealership in town, my Mama owned and operated Mi’s Cards and Gifts, several of my good friend’s parents owned the Piggy Wiggly, Woody’s Oyster Bar, and Davis’ Jewelry and Gifts as family businesses.

We had maybe four gas stations (which we referred to as filling stations) in town, but we always frequented Mr. Woodrow Jernigan’s Gulf filling station on the corner of Highway 84. When you pulled into the filling station to fill up with gas, Mr. Woodrow (or Steve) always checked your oil, checked your tire pressure, and cleaned your windshield. They kept track of your maintenance schedule, and when you drove away, you knew everything was full and had been checked out! That was the service they offered for everyone! Oh, how far we have come from those days!

When the tank in your car is full and you’ve had a full check up, you tend to feel safe and secure because you know that you should be equipped to reach your destination.

The fruits of the spirit represent a destination to which we all should aspire. These fruits are a list of the characteristics which those who belong to God should display. The first three- love, joy, peace -are inner qualities which reflect our relationship to God. The next three – patience, kindness, goodness – reveal themselves in our attitude and actions toward our neighbor. The last three – faithfulness, gentleness, self control – reflect how we should conduct ourselves in view of the duties, opportunities, and obligations that arise in our daily lives.

Sometimes our “tank” of these fruits becomes empty, and we need to visit the filling station to replenish them. Running on empty in our daily lives can lead us to feeling distanced and removed from God’s influence in our lives.

There are things that can prevent us from visiting the filling station in our daily lives. First, we “forget to remember” to pray every day and specifically ask to have our lives filled with the spiritual gifts. We forget that God is always there waiting for us to refill the things we are lacking.

Secondly, we often say “no” to God when He is dealing with us about a specific area in our lives. I can’t help but snicker at parents and grandparents (us included) who allow the children to say “no” when they are told to do something. We know what’s best for them, yet, sometimes we allow children to make grown up decisions. We need to remember we are God’s servants, not His advisors.

Next, if we aren’t filled up, we allow doubt and fear to paralyze us in our efforts. God is the driver when you are on this journey of life. Take the fruits of the spirit with you. He knows where this life is leading us and how long it will take to get there! Don’t doubt him or question him. His destination is worth the trip!

Consider the consequences of not filling up when we are in need of the fruits of the spirit. Could we consider ourselves a Christian if we were completely lacking in love, always unhappy and miserable, always racked by worries and fears, always impatient, always unkind, completely dishonest, completely untrustworthy and disloyal, aggressive, bullying, unstable and completely lacking in self control? This would be our lives without the grace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.

Eugene Peterson expresses it best in The Message. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard–things like affection for others, exuberance for life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what every one else calls necessities is killed off for good – crucified. Galatians 5:22-24

My prayer is that we visit the filling station often and come away full of the fruits of the spirt.

Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of heaven, feed me ’til I want no more. Fill my cup, Fill it up and make me whole. Jessy Dixon