My car Ishmael had a problem. A few weeks ago someone pointed out to me the front tire on the drivers side was low on air. The tire had developed a slow leak. I figured the tire had probably picked up a nail or a staple from some roof work I had done recently. At first, this was a mere inconvenience. Every few days I would stop and put air in the tire, and then would be on my way again. But then, as usually happens, the slow leak turned into a major leak. I knew the tire needed attention at that point, but I figured I was too busy to drive to the tire place to have it patched. I needed to do something to get me by for a few days. The leak was bad enough that my only solution was to fill the tire with air in the morning, and do so again in the evening.
This arrangement worked well for a couple of days, until the Saturday when I forgot to put air in the tire in the evening… I awoke to a mostly flat tire! I was in a hurry to get to church on Sunday, so I carefully and slowly drove to the gas station a mile or so away to get air. On Monday, I finally made it to the tire shop for repair.
Except I was too late. The tire guy showed me the problem. By driving on a flat tire, even for a mile, the sidewall inside the tire began to chip off. The guy showed me bits of sidewall that had accumulated inside the tire. “This could cause a blow out.” He said. “You need to get a new tire.” “This one is now unstable.” It ended up being an expensive lesson on what not to do to your tires, even for a mile!
Last Sunday was Pentecost, the day we celebrate the giving and outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples. When it comes to the Holy Spirit, I have a problem. Like my tire, I leak! I leak the Spirit the countless number of times each day I turn away from God, thinking of myself first. I leak the Spirit everytime I fail to pray or give thanks. I leak the Spirit every time I do wrong and do not live by the Spirit. Get the idea?
It is true that the Holy Spirit has been given, abundantly poured out in fact, and that God will not rescind what He has given. It is true the Spirit is inside anyone who is reborn in Christ, and that the Holy Spirit is always within us, no matter what! It is also true I continually do things to thrawt and crowd out the Spirit in my own life. In other words, I leak…
I am not the first to recognize this. When Paul said “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), he used a continuing tense — as in “Keep on being filled with the Spirit.” Being filled with the Spirit is not a once and done sort of thing, it is meant to be a daily, ongoing reality. David, in his famous Psalm 51, wrote “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me.” And “Take not your Holy Spirit from me.”
Both Paul and David recognized the need we have to come before God, not once, but always, asking him to fill us yet again. God is pleased by this request, and is pleased to breathe into us as much of his Spirit as we are able to receive.
When we neglect or fail to do that, danger awaits. Like my tire, we might look fine on the outside, but on the inside the world is chipping away the parts of us that are real and true and good. Let us learn not to go too far, not even a mile, not even a day, without asking to be filled with the Spirit.
Big Al!
It is safe to say the Men’s hike at Pisgah National Forest was a challenge for Al. He struggled to keep up and often lagged behind. The burden of the backpack was harder for him to handle than he imagined it would be. Other members of the group were not disturbed or perturbed by this. We walked alongside Al and encouraged him often, simply glad to have him along.
On Saturday toward the end of our hike for that day, some of the younger guys decided to cool off by jumping off a 10 foot high rock into the icy South Mill River. I wanted no part of it, nor did any of the other men from CTR. Then there was Al. Al stripped down to his scivvies and jumped right in! In that moment, Al became the most memorable moment, and the hit of the whole hike! For the record, I tried to discourage Al and thought his jumping off a cliff into the river was a bad idea. I did not want to be responsible in any way for his sudden, yet spectacular demise… Both God and Al had other ideas, and I am glad for it!
See you Sunday!
