{"id":109,"date":"2017-03-27T21:32:07","date_gmt":"2017-03-28T02:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/test.ststephensottawa.ca\/?p=109"},"modified":"2017-05-27T22:16:13","modified_gmt":"2017-05-28T03:16:13","slug":"what-fuels-our-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.ststephensottawa.ca\/?p=109","title":{"rendered":"What fuels our work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

March 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

Through him we received grace\u2026 to call all the Gentiles\u00a0to the obedience that comes from\u00a0faith\u00a0<\/em>\u2013 Romans 1:5<\/p>\n

I know a guy who stopped to help someone with car trouble. The car wouldn\u2019t start. Was the battery dead? No, the headlights worked fine. They opened the hood, but couldn\u2019t see a problem. Just when they were going to call a tow truck, someone asked, \u201cHave you checked the fuel?\u201d My friend jogged to a gas station, filled up a small gas can, and took it back to the car.<\/p>\n

When they poured gas in the tank, the engine started like a charm. It had simply run out of gas. In our life with God, and our life with each other, we can run out of gas.<\/p>\n

L. Moody, the American evangelist, was once asked \u201cHave you been filled with the Holy Spirit?\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I leak!\u201d We all leak. So we constantly need filling up.<\/p>\n

What fuels your work? What gets you up in the morning, and keeps you going? The Apostle Paul invites us into the obedience that comes from faith<\/em>. He calls us into work that is fuelled by faith.<\/p>\n

How is that different from obedience fuelled by fear? When we\u2019re fuelled by fear, we obey whatever power holds sway over us: fear of failing, of being hurt; fear of letting others down, of the unknown, or of a bully\u2014fears motivate us to act in certain ways. Obedience that comes from fear leaves us tense. It\u2019s a deer-in-the-headlights mindset.<\/p>\n

Some obedience stems from pride. We obey our own egos. We work like crazy to build a reputation, or because we\u2019re sure that no one else will do it right. There are other motivators. But God invites us into obedience that comes from faith<\/em>.<\/p>\n

God calls us to work out of trust in his <\/em>goodness, faithfulness, and love. Faith-obedience grows out of a relationship with God: knowing God enough that we really trust him. Knowing God enough that we discern what he\u2019s calling us to do, and not do.<\/p>\n

If we drive a car, we develop the habit<\/em> of refilling our car gas tank before it runs dry. When we follow Jesus, there are life habits to help us receive the fuel that the Holy Spirit wants to give.<\/p>\n

As we head into Lent this month, I invite you to cultivate three habits:<\/p>\n