Out of Gas

ByDr. Dan

Due to the fact that the Internet provider had issues all day Monday, some received my Monday Morning Manna and some did not. We think everything has been corrected, so I will post it again, with apologies to those who receive it twice. So here is Dr. Dan’s Friday Morning Manna. Dan
++++++++++++

Tis’ the season – baseball season, that is – my favorite season of the year. One of the things I love about baseball is the unique jargon that is not heard in any other sport. No other sport has “ducks on the pond” or a “bull pen” or “tools of ignorance.” A few games ago, the pitcher had suddenly begun to give up hit after hit, in mid-game. Someone described him as being “out of gas,” meaning he had grown tired and unsuccessful. While some baseball lingo must remain forever within the sport, this phrase transfers beyond. In fact, I know some Christians, and a few ministers, who are “out of gas.” The more acceptable term is “burn-out.” But whatever you call it, it is sad to see, and difficult to correct. When this malady befalls us, we try to remedy it by acting more spiritual, serving harder, employing more spiritual discipline, saying things like, “I’d rather burn-out than rust-out,” while the real cure is within. Quoted by E. Stanley Jones, someone said, “If we haven’t that within us which is above us, we will soon yield to that which is around us.” Even God rested on the seventh day, and blessed it as a day of rest and refreshment (Genesis 2:2-3). Likewise, Jesus “withdrew” (Mark 3:7) from the crowds, understanding that life in general and ministry in specific needs times for renewing and refueling. Out of gas? It’s hard to gas-up on the move. Stop long enough for God to re-fill your spiritual tank.

Join me this week in remembering the following global prayer concerns:
• Pray for over 40 student volunteers serving this summer in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, Canada.
• Pray for Ignatius as he serves in Bulgaria until mid-September, before returning to Greece.
• Pray for an upcoming English camp in the area of San Sebastian, Spain where volunteers will be teaching Bible truths through English lessons and personal interaction.
• Deaf World Shake 2015 will take place soon in South Asia, East Asia and South America. Fifteen U.S. college students will share good news with Deaf around the world. Pray for these students as they travel and serve.