Keeping the top half full

June 29, 2007

By Randy Mantik

I’ve run out of gas only one time in my life. It was soon after I graduated from Bible college and I was heading home from church one Sunday night. I was driving my 1966 Plymouth Valiant, and in the imponderable, impenetrable mists of the reasoning of youth, I was trying to see how far I could get on vapors. A long walk to a gas station and back cured me of ever doing that again. However, I did learn that simple yet profound lesson of life — always make sure to keep the tank full (or at lest a few notches above empty).

When we have no thought to keeping the tank full, our chances of running out go up. I think the same thing happens spiritually. We have to keep an eye on the level of fuel in our spirits. Running dry is so discouraging and causes unnecessary wear and tear on our hearts and souls. It just makes sense, like in our car, to make it a practice to “keep the top half full” in our spirits! Don’t let yourself get down to vapors — the devil likes to lurk, waiting for an empty and tired soul to harass, doing his best to hinder one from getting filled up again.

There’s no need to ever run dry if we are vigilant! Even if you’ve been faithful in spending personal time with God and you’ve been going to church every week — filling up with plenty of spiritual fuel through worship, the Word, and fellowship with other believers — that is not the time to get comfortable and take your eye off the gauge. Don’t begin to glance at the gauge every now and then figuring, “Well, there’s just enough in there to get me through till next Sunday.”

My sister had a car with a gas gauge that didn’t work. She kept track of when she needed gas by how many miles she’d gone. Kind of a risky way to go. Maybe you’ve been trying to do that spirituality. But it could be that you have used up more gas than you think this time. Your calculations may be off and you’re not prepared for the unexpected.

I think Jesus was addressing this exact thing when He told the story of the 10 virgins, using lamp oil for illustration purposes. Five of the virgins carried plenty of oil for their lamps with them and five did not. The five that didn’t have enough oil seemed to have it together spiritually. Their lamps were burning. But they didn’t burn long.

“The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them” (Matthew 25:3, NIV). They kept only enough oil to keep their lamps burning for a little while. But the wise ones did something else. “The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps” (Matthew 25:4). They carried extra oil.

That’s what I mean by keeping the top half full. Why? So there will be plenty no matter what happens. In Jesus’ parable, the bridegroom didn’t come right away as was expected. The five virgins who were unprepared ran out of oil and tried to buy some more. While they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. When the five girls got back, the door to the wedding celebration was closed.

God doesn’t always arrive when we expect Him to. Like the five wise virgins, we need to be sure to have enough fuel for today and for tomorrow and the day after that. You may have just come through the most awesome spiritual experience. You may have more goose bumps on your goose bumps then you think you can stand. Perhaps you have just learned some spiritual truth that is really amazing.

Maybe you feel like your spiritual tank is really full! Good! But don’t make the mistake of saying, “I have all I need of God. I don’t need any more. Why grow any further? I’m doing just fine!” That line of thinking is a lie of Satan, full of arrogance. Instead, determine to “keep the top half full” and pray to be filled again or you will soon be dry and empty, unable to enter in.

Years ago, I remember watching one gentleman who was new in his faith. He would seek the Lord every Sunday night with great earnestness and get filled to the brim with God’s presence and joy. I remember him saying to our senior minister, “Pastor, I’ve got so much now that it’s almost like I didn’t have any before.”

That, dear ones, is a great example of “keeping the top half full” while remaining open to receive more! “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

Randy Mantik is senior pastor of Crossroads Church of the Assemblies of God in Pembine, Wis.