It doesn’t matter how nice your car is if you’ve run out of fuel. You’re not driving it anywhere. The same can be said for our souls. In seasons of life where we are emptying ourselves into our ministries and relationships, it’s imperative to find ways for our souls to be filled.
Healthy ministries and healthy relationships are the results of healthy leaders.
It may be easier to know when your car is about to run out of gas than your soul. You can see the needle move from F to E. You know about how many miles you can drive once the gas light appears. You also know if you put about $10 of gas in your tank, it will be just enough to keep going. What are those warning signs that your soul is in need of help?
Here are a few things that I’ve learned to interpret as warning for my health:
-When I favor justice over mercy
-When my team isn’t unified
-When my conversations with those closest to me are small talk
-When I focus about the results more than the people accomplishing the results
-When people are walking on eggshells around me
Keeping my tank full has looked different in every season of life. I’ve decided to make my drive to and from work to become my spiritual gas station. It’s my only solitude so I spend it listening to scripture, sermons, and devotions blasting through my car stereo. My car has become my “tent of meeting” where Jesus keeps my tank full.
God allows negative or difficult life situations to serve as warning signs on your spiritual dashboard. How we respond can be the indicator of how healthy or unhealthy we are. For the sake of your ministry and relationships, it’s worth pulling over and filling up your tank.
