How long can you keep running on empty? Since we have not yet conquered the concept of a perpetual motion machine, almost every device we operate must have its energy source refueled from time to time. Some last longer than others between fill ups but all eventually need a refill. There are different resources for different engines. Some use gasoline, some diesel, some electricity, some just need a little more water. Beyond all of the devices and engines we have invented are the things God has put around us. Plants require water, nutrients and sunlight. Rivers and lakes need snowfall and rain. Everything needs to be refueled, revitalized, filled up and restored so they can continue on doing and being and fulfilling their purpose.
So how long can you keep running on empty? A race car that has run low on fuel can coast a long way running on fumes. If it is running downhill or with the wind at its back it may coast a good distance before someone notices a problem. A clever driver might position themselves close behind another racecar and draft for a bit to appear it still has power. In an uphill climb or perhaps with sharp turns ahead, a car running on empty will be revealed quickly. It must be refueled before it can be the winning powerful machine it was designed as. It is amazing that we can run at full power right up until the moment of empty. We can be appearing to have everything well in hand, all bases covered and headed for our victory lap, BUT Empty is coming.
So how long can you keep running on empty? And how important is the right fuel? What if you throw some other resources into the tank? There can be circumstances where you might be running low and you just grab whatever is available to keep on going.
Once it is already operating at high rpms, a high compression, high octane, racing engine “can” run on cheaper, lower grade fuel, but it won’t run right, it won’t be at its best. An electrical appliance or motor requires a precise voltage range to produce the best results. Too much, too little, or the wrong frequency, can all spell disaster. Likewise an Olympic runner is not going to last long or perform well on a diabetic’s diet.
So how long can you keep running on empty? Just because the box or bottle is labelled correctly doesn’t ensure the purity of the contents. You can be full of all the wrong fuel and collapse just the same as if you had run completely out of the right fuel. So you wind up with an empty tank that is full. It is empty of what you need and full of that which will stop you dead in your tracks. The unfortunate truth about this situation is that you think you have all you need until you break down in the middle of your journey with no place to put the real stuff in. You will wonder and ponder and fuss and fume and end up lost in the smoke without a clear path out.
So how long can you keep running on empty? In drag racing and at car show-off meets they rev the engines high to spin the tires as fast as they can. Then they burn the rubber off the tires and produce great clouds of stinky smoke. They call it a burn out. Most of the time it produces nothing worthwhile or lasting but gives a great sense of pride to the one who does it best. Sometimes when we assume we have what it takes to spin the tires, we think we have accomplished something. In truth we wear out the tires, stress the engine, and annoy the neighbors, while wasting the time and money and talent which put us in that position. We are not able to do much because what we do results in an empty tank and nothing worth admiring. We are not any better than those who had little to begin with. Any competent business owner will tell you it takes a lot of that hard work and producing the right kind of results in order to be successful.
Running on empty is what Jesus warned His disciples of. He exampled and taught them to come apart for replenishment. He knew the times when He had topped off their tanks and would send then forth to be successful. He also knew when they needed to be revitalized with a fresh fill up. Sometimes He had to empty what was in them. It was what they got from their past beliefs and even well-meaning people who thought they knew what was right. That was some of the wrong stuff packaged in the right boxes. Sometimes He had to help them understand that the goal was not to knock people over the head and drag them into the Church. The goal was to introduce them to the Messiah and allow them to desire to come in. It requires less of them and results in more victories.
I have watched many friends, even Church leaders, attempt to do it all themselves. I have seen the great proclamations as crowds have responded. I have also witnessed the slow slide as they run out of steam and try to reach the end of the race without replenishing. It takes time to replenish. It takes admitting that you do not own it all. It takes seeing yourself as Jesus sees you. Even to be a Bible teacher, even for children, requires you to continually be restored with fresh fuel from the right source. It is not enough to be filled with the Word if there is no Spirit. It is not enough to be filled with the Spirit if there is no Lordship. It is not enough to be obedient to His Lordship if you are not directed by the truth of His word. A full of the right stuff tank will enable you to run for a while. Properly used it will run for a long while. It is necessary for it to be a full tank of the right stuff. It is also necessary that you stop to rest and receive more fuel on a regular basis.
A dragster is purposed to run one quarter mile at a time. If they burn out or blow up, they fail and another takes their place. A NASCAR stock car is different. It is designed to run 500 miles in a single race. It does not have sufficient fuel in the tank to travel that far. They plan carefully to make that replenishing stop. They watch carefully for signs of wear and tear which could put an early end to the race. If they see something, they plan a pit stop to repair, refuel and re-enter the race. The goal is the finish. It takes time. You can’t get there if you run out of fuel. You can’t get there if you stop to take pictures or a victory lap along the way. You can’t get to victory lane if you stop believing that your owner and crew are there to help you when. You can’t get there on your one tank alone.
So how long can you keep running on empty? In your faith journey you need continual replenishment from the Word, from the Spirit and from fellow believers who are getting refilled themselves. If your refilling comes from someone who has become so full of themselves that there is no room for correction from the right source, it won’t last. You will find yourself empty. You will see yourself as alone. You will understand the futility of burnout. You will wonder why God was not faithful, why He was not enough to get you through. The truth is you will not keep running very far if you are running on empty. And when you run out you may even find that you never had the right stuff to begin with.