How are you?  As we all know, this is a simple question masking a complex condition.  I believe God created us with three fundamental states that can be described as emotional, physical and spiritual tanks.  Last week, we considered our physical tank which I believe can be the foundation for the other tanks.  If your physical tank is empty, it can be a real struggle to maintain your emotional and spiritual tanks.  I believe that is why Jesus would frequently meet his followers’ physical needs before he would minister to their spiritual and emotional needs and I believe this is why God ministered to Elijah’s physical needs before moving on to deal with his spiritual and emotional tanks. 

Today, we are focusing on our spiritual tank.  For many of us, this may be the tank that is most often neglected which is ironic since I believe it is the tank over which we have the most control.  We all know from experience how fleeting our physical health can be as we are frequently reminded by the common ailments that plague us.  We also deal with unexpected changes in our emotional state that for many of us defy explanation.  Why do I feel blue today and ecstatic tomorrow?  The answer is complicated and involves physiological, environmental and even spiritual considerations.  I believe the bottom line is that God has not promised us good physical health nor has he promised us happiness.  However he has promised us that we can have consistent joy in this life. 

Many folks confuse happiness and joy.  Happiness is an emotion which comes and goes unpredictably as the events of life unfold.  Joy is a spiritual state that is a gift of God’s Spirit and reflects the condition of your spiritual tank.  God has given you the ability to keep your spiritual tank charged regardless of the state of your other tanks and as result you can experience joy even when you are physically or emotionally drained.  My friend, Ellis understands this truth and his example of perseverance through the trials of cancer over the past few years is a testimony to the power of a full spiritual tank.

Paul also understood the power of a full spiritual tank as evidenced by this statement he makes in Philippians 4:11-13:

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

I believe Paul addresses all three tanks in this passage.  Paul may be emotionally brought low or he may be abounding in happiness.  He may be struggling with hunger and need or he may be blessed with abundance and plenty.  These conditions are situational and largely outside of Paul’s control.  However, he has learned to be content.  In other words, regardless of the situation, he has contentment and joy in his life.  How?  The secret is in the last sentence – “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  

I believe Paul is speaking spiritually when he says “I can do all things.”  There were certainly things Paul could not do physically as evidenced by the thorn in the flesh that reminded Paul of his physical weakness.  I also believe Paul struggled emotionally at times as his ministry weighed on him.  Many times Paul spoke of his grief over the actions of his brothers and sisters he cared for.  However, Paul knew he had access to a power that would sustain him spiritually regardless of his conditions.  Would you like to be able to “do all things?”  Let’s look at the example of Elijah to see how God re-filled Elijah’s spiritual tank so that he could continue to “do all things.”

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah needed to be reminded of God’s presence in his life.  Elijah needed to be able to say the same words Paul had said, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  God demonstrates his power before Elijah as he commanded the elements on the mountain top.  As impressive as the demonstration was, the Lord was not present in the demonstration of power.  When God was ready to touch Elijah spiritually, he spoke to him in a low whisper.

It is good for us to consider the power and might of our magnificent creator God.  Look around at the creation and be prepared to be impressed at the grandeur found through the telescope and the microscope.  Consider the miracles recorded through-out the Bible and observe the providence of God as he works through human events to carry out his will.  However, as impressive as things are, they are the works of God and not his presence.  God’s presence is most often found in the low whisper of spiritual discipline.

David wrote in Psalm 46:8-11

 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
   how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
   he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
   he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth!”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Do you want your spiritual tank consistently full so you “can do all things?”  For a full tank, I must maintain my spiritual disciplines in addition to beholding his works.  I must read God’s Word and consider the truth found there.  I must pray to God frequently and ask, seek and knock and then I will find.  I must fast from time-to-time so that in my self-denial I can look to Him.  I must sing to the Lord and praise him with my lips.

Finally, I must meditate frequently and be open to God’s direction.  For me, the most difficult thing in the world is also the most important.  I must be still, and know that He is God.  I’m not very good at being still, but unless I am, how will I ever hear the low whisper?

Next week, we will conclude this series by looking at how God, having restored Elijah’s physical and spiritual tanks, gave Elijah a much needed emotional recharge.

Until next week,

Meet me at the intersection!

How are you?  How can such a simple question provoke such a complex response?  Perhaps the complexity of the answer is why we typically just say, “fine” even when that response clearly masks the truth.  A truthful answer would simply require more of an investment in time than you or your friend are willing to make.  After all, this common exchange is more of a courtesy than an honest inquiry into the well-being of the other individual, right?

This is probably true, but it’s still worthwhile to consider the reality behind the courtesy.  How are you really?  As I wrote last week, God created us with three fundamental states that can be described as emotional, physical and spiritual tanks.  Today, we are focusing on the physical tank.  It is the easiest tank for us to evaluate in others and in ourselves.  In some ways, it is the foundation for the other tanks.  If your physical tank is empty, it can be a real struggle to maintain your emotional and spiritual tanks.  I believe that is why Jesus frequently met his followers’ physical needs (feeding them and healing them) before he ministered to their spiritual and emotional needs.  I think you also see this same pattern as God ministered to Elijah in I Kings chapter 19.

After Elijah engaged in a spiritual showdown with 450 prophets of the false god Baal and defeated them through the power of God, Queen Jezebel passed a death sentence upon Elijah for killing the false prophets and she placed a bounty on Elijah’s head.  When Elijah heard about the death sentence, he turned and ran into the desert to escape the queen.  I Kings 19:3-4 recorded Elijah’s actions and his thoughts:

Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.  But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

Why did the mighty Elijah turn tail and run even though God had already made him victorious over the 450 false prophets?  Because Elijah was human just like you and me and in the battle of the previous day, he had run his three tanks empty.  Notice how God ministered to Elijah, first concentrating on his physical condition.  Remember, Elijah had battled the false prophets all day without any recorded meals and then he won a foot race with King Ahab (who was in a chariot) from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel.  Read I Kings 19:5-8:

And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”  And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again.  And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.”  And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

When Elijah got to Horeb, God ministered to Elijah spiritually and emotionally but first he helped Elijah refill his physical tank.  I believe Elijah needed to have a full physical tank before God could deal with him emotionally and spiritually.

I have found this to be true in my life as well.  Last year I found myself running consistently on a low physical tank.  I was able to get through an average day OK but if the day was challenging, I had a difficult time dealing with things emotionally and I found it more difficult to focus on my spiritual disciplines.  I also came down with several infections in the summer and fall.  It is rare for me to get sick more than once or twice per year.  One Sunday morning, I got up to preach a lesson to my church family and I became very light-headed on the way to the pulpit.  I was scared by that experience and so that week I went to the doctor to get a physical evaluation.  I found out my thyroid was underperforming and a little hormone pill taken once per day has refilled my physical tank.  Within a few weeks of starting the hormone regimen, I couldn’t believe the difference in my daily energy level and how much more stable I was emotionally.  I also found my spiritual life reinvigorated.  It was shortly after I began feeling better that I was motivated to begin Intersections.  I thank God for my diagnosis and a quick and easy fix.  I know many others struggle with physical tank problems without a quick or easy fix.

This experience helped me appreciate the lesson of Elijah first hand.  It is very difficult to maintain our emotional and spiritual tanks when our physical state is out-of-whack.  However, it is not impossible.  I have been impressed and humbled by the examples of so many who have struggled with chronic or even terminal health conditions, suffering through chemotherapy and radiation treatments that leave their physical tanks bone dry while they seem to have emotional and spiritual tanks that overflow with energy.  In the right circumstances, I believe God can overcome the drag of a failing physical tank, recharging the other two tanks with the power of his Spirit.  Ellis, one of my friends and a genuine hero of the faith to me is a perfect example of this effect.  By the grace of God, Ellis has lived with his cancer two years longer than any doctor predicted.  During this time, Ellis has taken his chemotherapy which saps his physical strength but he is extremely positive at all times and he is a spiritual rock.  I am energized every time I see him simply from being in his presence. 

I also think you see this effect in the example of Jesus as he entered the wilderness for 40 days of fasting after which he was called to a face-to-face spiritual battle with Satan himself.  Although his physical tank was surely on empty, Jesus was completely victorious over the temptations of Satan.  I believe we can tap into that same power through God’s Spirit even when our physical tank is running low.  Over the next two weeks, we will continue to look at the example of Elijah and see how God refilled his emotional and spiritual tanks.  I think there are great lessons for us in the conclusion of this Bible story.

In the meantime, do everything in your power to take care of your physical tank this week.  Eat right, get enough sleep, take your vitamins, exercise appropriately and get regular health check-ups.  Don’t underestimate the importance of maintaining your physical tank so you are prepared for physical, emotional or spiritual battle.  It pays to always be prepared, because we never know when the battle will be upon us.

Until next week,

Meet me at the intersection!

How are you?  It’s a question that is asked millions of times per day in hundreds of languages.  Even my native Texas language’s traditional greeting, “Howdy” is just short for “How do you do?”  I know I ask that question many times each day as I pass by my friends and associates in the office corridors and church hallways.  And what is the traditional response?  “I’m fine.”   Have you ever had someone answer differently when you asked that question as you passed by them in the hall?  Perhaps someone answered truthfully, “not so great, thanks for asking.”   How many times have we answered, “fine” when the truth was a different story.  When someone responded truthfully to the question, did you back up and inquire further into what was wrong or did you move on down the road pretending not to have heard the unusual response?  I admit (not very proudly) I’ve responded both ways.  So why do we engage in this familiar exchange that so often veils the truth?  Perhaps because the simple question can lead to a very complex truthful response.  Many times it’s easier to respond, “fine” than attempt to describe what’s not right in my life.  Many times, I’m not quite sure what’s wrong just that something’s out of whack.

The problem is that we are by nature complex beings.  Our creator God created us with several different states of being that can each be “fine” or “not so fine.”  At a basic level we all have at least three fundamental states that can be described as emotional, physical and spiritual states.  You may want to think of these states as reservoirs or tanks that are relatively full or empty of energy.  When all three tanks are full, you will likely be in good shape and can honestly respond, “fine” to the hallway question.  When any one tank is approaching empty, you will likely feel “not so fine” and two or more tanks on empty indicate a serious crisis is brewing in your life.

God created you and He knows you have these tanks that require attention in order to be healthy and happy.  The best example I can find in the Bible of this human phenomenon and God’s response to us when we are running on empty is in I Kings chapters 18 and 19.  In chapter 18, the mighty prophet Elijah engages in a spiritual showdown with 450 prophets of the false god Baal and defeats them through the power of God.  The false prophets are put to death and the people of Israel are left with no doubts about who is the one true God and what is an inanimate object worshipped as a false god.  Chapter 18 concludes with the victorious Elijah in a foot race with King Ahab in his chariot from Mt. Carmel back to the town of Jezreel.  Elijah on foot beat the king in his horse-drawn chariot.  One would think that Elijah, energized by his victory with God, would be full of confidence and unshakable in any circumstance. 

However, chapter 19 opens up with Queen Jezebel passing a death sentence upon Elijah for killing the false prophets and placing a bounty on Elijah’s head.  The powerful prophet who had single-handedly with the power of God alone defeated 450 prophets of Baal turned and ran into the desert.  Why?  Because Elijah was human and in the battle of the previous day, he had run his three tanks empty.  When we are running on three empty tanks, we are in no position to go into any sort of battle.  We will certainly be defeated.  So, we have to stay on top of the status of our tanks and ensure they are constantly filled. 

I think you will all recognize in our topsy-turvy modern world, it is all too easy to run our physical, emotional and spiritual tanks dry without taking the time and making the effort to recharge.  Over the next three articles, we will study the example of Elijah in chapter 19 and notice how God personally ministers to Elijah and recharges each of his three tanks.  I know I benefit every time I consider the story of Elijah in I Kings 19.  I think there is a very practical Biblical therapy in this chapter that can completely revolutionize our lives and help us truly be able to answer, “fine” when our friends and associates ask us, “How are you?”  Come back next week to see how critical it is that we maintain our physical tank.  You will also see that your physical health is a priority for God and he is also very interested in the question, “How are you?”

Until next week,

Meet me at the intersection!