The Full Service Filling Station

"Be filled with the Spirit," Ephesians 5:18

I'm remembering back to the days when gas stations were called Full Service Filling Stations because they were so much more than self service ones.

First of all, everything was done by the people there. The attendant (yes, they were actually called that) filled cars with gas, washed  the windshields, checked the air pressure in the tires and measured the oil levels.

It was necessary to visit the stations regularly to get fuel to run on, windshields cleaned to see clearly so that vision wouldn't be cloudy or impaired, tires filled with air to run smoothly, and oil at the proper levels to prevent overheating and breakdowns of the vehicles.

I'm struck with the similarity of my walk with God.  I, too, must visit my "Full Service Filling Station" regularly to be refueled and filled with the Spirit of God.  I pull into that quiet place, that "secret place of the most high God" in Christ, where I meet with Him.  I "enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart and into His courts with praise."  Sometimes I'm still half full if I've been faithful to seek Him, but at other times I'm totally out of fuel and just running on fumes.  I desperately need to be filled again because I simply cannot move and live rightly with joy, peace, hope, and love, without being filled with His Spirit.

My "windshield" must be cleaned regularly to see as God sees.  Only as I read His thoughts written in His Word, and dwell in His presence is my vision restored. God's view becomes my view looking out upon the world, as I allow Him to remove all the dirt from my mind and heart.  Being with Him softens me and brings me to sorrow that I've let Him down.  The water from my eyes assists in the process.  I receive His cleansing and forgiveness.

The oil of the Holy Spirit fills me and I am refueled, renewed, and restored by Him to go forth to proclaim Him once again.  I put the pedal to the metal and off I go to tell everyone I meet about the great Full Service Filling Station up ahead, just waiting to service them.