HOPE S.H.A.R.E.D. (Share How Abba Relates Every Day)
Last week I had twenty-five minutes to ride bikes with the girls before soccer practice. House locked, garage door open, bikes in driveway, helmets on, legs stretched (mine only, the girls never have to stretch for a bike ride), and finally, "Let's go!" I rolled down the driveway and my oldest daughter said, "Mom, both of your tires are low." Ugh! Back to the house. Pump found buried in the back of my van, air added, and now we only have twenty minutes left for our bike ride.
While I rode, Jesus spoke to my heart. You know Stacy, you are like your flat tires, you lack air. What? I wish he had referred to my stomach. But sadly, he pointed to my spiritual life.
God reminded me:
I. Flat tires must be filled.
Just as I couldn't ride on flat bike tires without ruining them, God cannot use us as He chooses if we have no "air in our tires" The air: the very presence of God, the Holy Spirit. When a person becomes a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside to connect, correct, and direct.
1 Corinthians 6:19 says,
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
II. Tires may leak air.
I hadn't ridden my bike in a few weeks. The last time I rode, the tires had plenty of air. I assumed they still had air, forgetting that tires may have a slow leak. As a believer, the amount of "air in your tire" correlates with the amount of spirit control. As a believer, the constant battle: controlled by flesh (my control, my desires) or controlled by the spirit (God's control, God's desires).
Galatians 5:16- 17 says,
16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.
The more a believer chooses to control life, the more air leakes out of the tires (less spirit controlled).
III. Tires need consistent checks.
I didn't notice the flat tires on my bike because I never pushed on them. I'm not even sure if I looked at them. I knew I should have checked my tires, I just didn't. Warning: It's harder to detect a slow leak. Likewise, God wants us to check our spiritual lives. Do you have the Holy Spirit living in you? Do you have any unconfessed sin causing a slow leak? Do you limit the Holy Spirit because you are not spending time in prayer? Do you lack wisdom because you are neglecting the study of the Bible? God used the flat tires on my bike to remind me to assess my spiritual life.
IV. Tires cannot self- inflate.
It would be nice if the tires would self-inflate, but they don't. Likewise, I cannot air up my own spiritual life. I must admit I need air and go to the source, God himself. Through obedience, God "airs me up".
V. Tires never get glory.
When my daughters learned to ride their bikes, I never said, "Wow! Look at those tires. Aren't they great!." No. I said, "Great job, girls!" Likewise, God doesn't put air in our tires to make us look good. He does it for Him to get the praise! He wants to use us to make His name known among the nations.
What about you? Need air in your tires?
Last week I had twenty-five minutes to ride bikes with the girls before soccer practice. House locked, garage door open, bikes in driveway, helmets on, legs stretched (mine only, the girls never have to stretch for a bike ride), and finally, "Let's go!" I rolled down the driveway and my oldest daughter said, "Mom, both of your tires are low." Ugh! Back to the house. Pump found buried in the back of my van, air added, and now we only have twenty minutes left for our bike ride.
While I rode, Jesus spoke to my heart. You know Stacy, you are like your flat tires, you lack air. What? I wish he had referred to my stomach. But sadly, he pointed to my spiritual life.
God reminded me:
I. Flat tires must be filled.
Just as I couldn't ride on flat bike tires without ruining them, God cannot use us as He chooses if we have no "air in our tires" The air: the very presence of God, the Holy Spirit. When a person becomes a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside to connect, correct, and direct.
1 Corinthians 6:19 says,
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
II. Tires may leak air.
I hadn't ridden my bike in a few weeks. The last time I rode, the tires had plenty of air. I assumed they still had air, forgetting that tires may have a slow leak. As a believer, the amount of "air in your tire" correlates with the amount of spirit control. As a believer, the constant battle: controlled by flesh (my control, my desires) or controlled by the spirit (God's control, God's desires).
Galatians 5:16- 17 says,
16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.
The more a believer chooses to control life, the more air leakes out of the tires (less spirit controlled).
III. Tires need consistent checks.
I didn't notice the flat tires on my bike because I never pushed on them. I'm not even sure if I looked at them. I knew I should have checked my tires, I just didn't. Warning: It's harder to detect a slow leak. Likewise, God wants us to check our spiritual lives. Do you have the Holy Spirit living in you? Do you have any unconfessed sin causing a slow leak? Do you limit the Holy Spirit because you are not spending time in prayer? Do you lack wisdom because you are neglecting the study of the Bible? God used the flat tires on my bike to remind me to assess my spiritual life.
IV. Tires cannot self- inflate.
It would be nice if the tires would self-inflate, but they don't. Likewise, I cannot air up my own spiritual life. I must admit I need air and go to the source, God himself. Through obedience, God "airs me up".
V. Tires never get glory.
When my daughters learned to ride their bikes, I never said, "Wow! Look at those tires. Aren't they great!." No. I said, "Great job, girls!" Likewise, God doesn't put air in our tires to make us look good. He does it for Him to get the praise! He wants to use us to make His name known among the nations.
What about you? Need air in your tires?
I know I could use a lot less "hot air" and more spiritual life-giving air. Lately I have found that when I'm getting annoyed I get filled with that annoyance or I can "poof" it out in a blast of air and breathe in Jesus instead.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great added insight. I understand your struggle.
DeleteGreat post. Makes me question are my tires leaking! Blessings, Debbie
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's a moment by moment check isn't it?
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