As a Christian, you know you need to have devotions. You've heard it from your pastor; you've seen the study guides; you may have even made a dent in the One Year Bible. Some of you have valiantly set your alarm clocks back an hour for morning quiet time, only to find that life creeps back in to steal your resolve. It isn't because you don't love God. You quit because you "bought into" someone's unsustainable habit at an unreasonable pace.
But you don't have to keep running on empty. Bestselling author Doug Fields offers an uncomplicated, practical plan that you can carry out. This book won't teach you how to "cram God" into your already-full schedule. Instead, Doug will show you a practical, doable way of setting God first, and then letting everything else in your life fall into place. You will experience the fullness God has for you-just take some time to refuel.
As a Christian, you know you need to have devotions. You've heard it from your pastor; you've seen the study guides; you may have even made a dent in the One Year Bible. Some of you have valiantly set your alarm clocks back an hour for morning quiet time, only to find that life creeps back in to steal your resolve. It isn't because you don't love God. You quit because you "bought into" someone's unsustainable habit at an unreasonable pace.
But you don't have to keep running on empty. Bestselling author Doug Fields offers an uncomplicated, practical plan that you can carry out. This book won't teach you how to "cram God" into your already-full schedule. Instead, Doug will show you a practical, doable way of setting God first, and then letting everything else in your life fall into place. You will experience the fullness God has for you-just take some time to refuel.
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Overview
As a Christian, you know you need to have devotions. You've heard it from your pastor; you've seen the study guides; you may have even made a dent in the One Year Bible. Some of you have valiantly set your alarm clocks back an hour for morning quiet time, only to find that life creeps back in to steal your resolve. It isn't because you don't love God. You quit because you "bought into" someone's unsustainable habit at an unreasonable pace.
But you don't have to keep running on empty. Bestselling author Doug Fields offers an uncomplicated, practical plan that you can carry out. This book won't teach you how to "cram God" into your already-full schedule. Instead, Doug will show you a practical, doable way of setting God first, and then letting everything else in your life fall into place. You will experience the fullness God has for you-just take some time to refuel.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781418573225 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Nelson, Thomas, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 11/21/2011 |
| Sold by: | HarperCollins Publishing |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 144 |
| File size: | 234 KB |
About the Author
Doug Fields has been a leader in youth ministry for over 30 years. In addition to being a youth pastor at two churches for 11 and 20 years, Doug is the founder of Simply Youth Ministry, the co-founder of Downloadyouthministry.com, the author of more than 50 books, and is currently working with Youth Specialties & Azusa Pacific University (HomeWord’s Center for Youth/Family). More information about Doug is available at www.dougfields.com.
Read an Excerpt
REFUEL
AN UNCOMPLICATED GUIDE TO CONNECTING WITH GODBy DOUG FIELDS
Thomas Nelson
Copyright © 2008 Doug FieldsAll right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4185-7322-5
Chapter One
I'm a Spiritual Loser
Within one week of getting his driver's license, my sixteen-year-old son came to me feeling discouraged. He'd been thrilled to pass his driving test, but now his body language was unusually lifeless as he approached me. He said, "Dad, I need to talk to you about my car." Immediately I thought he was going to tell me about a speeding ticket or a fender bender or something that would cause him pain and cost me money. Instead, I discovered that his flat persona resulted from his need for additional cash to refuel his car. His weekly gas budget only lasted two and a half days, and now his tank-and his wallet-were empty. He was shocked at how few miles he could travel on one tank of gas. Sadly he said, "Dad, I gauged it all wrong. I had no idea I'd go empty so soon."
His older sister had "blessed" him with the family hand-me-down car (which she got from her great-grandmother) before she went off to college. Now, sixteen-year-old Cody Fields, varsity athlete, at the height of impressing every living creature under the age of eighteen, was the one driving the 1990 Buick LaSabre. If you don't know this model, just think "tank." To suggest it isn't fuel efficient would be an understatement. Then add the color maroon to it, throw on a few stickers (such as "I [heart] Kenya"), several little dents, and two missing hubcaps. While Cody doesn't adore the car, he's wise enough not to complain, because it would trigger Dad Lecture #317: "Gratefulness."
When he was learning to drive, he'd jump in and out of the family car without ever considering the implications of a low fuel level. To his inexperienced mind, cars always seemed to have enough. He had been taught the basics of pumping gas but never really connected the price of gas to his own wallet and what happens when you unexpectedly and all too quickly reach empty. He was definitely not the first young driver to admit, "I had no idea I'd go empty so soon."
Cody's experience was very similar to how many Christians feel: living on empty, in need of spiritual refueling, and not exactly sure what to do. But unlike an empty automobile tank, followers of Jesus can be spiritually empty yet appear as though nothing is wrong-and some are great actors. For example, I can pretend all is well without confessing my emptiness or bringing others into my need for refueling. It's very easy to live as if my spiritual tank is full. I can just put my life in cruise mode. I'll be the first to admit that it's not spiritually healthy, but I can do it easily. So can you. Unfortunately, cruise mode is common practice for too many Christ-followers, and I want that to change. I'm hoping you do too.
Over the course of my own spiritual journey, I've become very aware that if I don't connect with God on a regular basis, I run out of passion and become spiritually empty. Just like the gas in my son's car, my spiritual life drains more quickly (and more frequently) than I anticipate. And it's not a pretty sight. When I'm spiritually empty, my life sputters. Things feel different. Not good different-bad different. I'm shallow, confused, and anxious. Again, I can pretend to be full and fool others, but my emptiness is embarrassingly apparent to me. When my needle is nearing the red, there are some obvious warning signs:
* I'm more selfish with my time. * I'm impatient. * I lack compassion for those who are hurting. * I'm more vulnerable to temptation. * I begin to act like I deserve certain things. * I'm short with people. * I'm disobedient. * I feel distant from God. * I'm cynical. * I find it more difficult to make good decisions. * My insecurities are more prevalent. * I begin to look to others to fill voids that I know only God can fill. * I'm critical-in speech as well as thought.
And that's only a partial list (after all, this is a short book). I realize those symptoms aren't attractive. And I'm aware that this isn't what Jesus meant when He called me to be the "light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). I would even understand if you closed the book and thought, Yikes! This guy is a follower of Christ, and he acts like that? But I'm betting you won't stop reading, because my guess is that if you're really honest, your list probably looks similar to mine. Am I right?
How do you act when you're spiritually empty? Have you ever spent time reflecting on how being disconnected from God impacts you? If not, it's a great exercise, and I encourage you to do it so you can become aware of what happens when you're nearing empty.
For example, you might have abnormal anger in your life and not be aware that it's connected to your spiritual emptiness. You uncharacteristically snap at your kids, you're less patient with your coworkers, or you lean too heavily on the horn while driving. All of a sudden, everyone on the road is an idiot, and you're the poster child for the National Association of Good Drivers. Yeah, right! You know what's happening? You're living on E.
Perhaps your emptiness translates into a passion for food. Evening comes and you ransack the cupboards looking for salty or sugary treats. Then, halfway through a gallon of ice cream, you realize you're not eating out of physical hunger-you're eating because you're bored, tired, annoyed, hurting, stressed, anxious, worried, or desperate. Again, you're spiritually empty.
Or maybe you're the type who goes shopping when your spiritual tank is in the red. The money's not in your wallet, but credit cards are-four of them! Three hours, six stores, and two hundred dollars later, you're on a spending high, but inside you're as barren as when you started. Empty.
Though your symptoms may be different from those of others, spiritual emptiness is universal-yes, even for the people filling up our churches. So many of my Christian friends have confessed that when they aren't filled up spiritually, the pressures of life begin to squeeze into their souls and occupy space that God once filled. They are overflowing with these pressures rather than with the presence of God. Can you relate to this feeling at all?
I had experienced emptiness so many times that I finally decided to take some radical actions. I went public. I admitted it. First, I confessed my emptiness to close friends. And much to my surprise, they didn't reject me; instead, they passionately identified. I was blown away! I had always thought I was alone in my recurring emptiness. But once I found the courage to talk about it, I realized I was not alone. Then, not only did I converse about it, I began to preach on it. When I was truthful about my own spiritual emptiness, I found people in my church really wanting to talk about theirs. And now I'm putting it in a book, knowing that the masses will relate (at least the honest ones).
While I believe this book will be very helpful for new believers, I'm really writing to anyone who wants more out of their relationship with God. New or old. Is that you? Do you want to be spiritually different? Do you want to be filled with more of God and less of yourself? If so, it would bring me great joy to help you connect with God on a regular basis in a way that is uncomplicated and guilt free. Your life will be so much richer when you're spiritually full. And there is hope ahead, my friend! You can learn to consistently refuel your spiritual tank and experience the fullness of life that God promises. You don't need to run on empty anymore.
The Reality of Unrealistic Expectations
If you've spent any amount of time in church, it's safe to assume you've heard a sermon or two (or a hundred) about the need to connect with God on a regular basis. We pastor-types often refer to this action as "quiet time" or "devotions" or "vespers." We usually preach on some basic formulas that include daily Bible reading and prayer. Our sermons are then supplemented with similar messages in Christian books and magazine articles that also encourage Christ-followers to develop and maintain spiritual disciplines.
Countless Christians listen to these sermons and then try out these formulas to develop spiritual habits that will keep them filled. They purchase study guides, daily devotionals, and read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year Bibles. They confidently set their alarm clocks to wake up earlier in the morning; prop open their Bibles, then their eyes; and joyfully attempt to study God's Word, all the while, thinking, I'm going to read this dang Bible if it kills me. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? But here's what it really looks like:
Day 1: You do it. You check off that you read and prayed. Way to go!
Day 2: You do it again. Well done! Connecting with God is easy, right?
Day 3: You have a "quiet time" for a third day in a row. You're awesome! Well, kind of, but since you read so fast, you don't really remember anything an hour later.
Day 4: You want to do it, but you're so tired that you tell yourself you'll do it later in the day ... but you don't. It was a long day, and now your favorite show is on TV.
Day 5: It's a Sunday, so you gave yourself a "bye day," because church is basically an extended quiet time where you're getting spiritually filled. You'll get back on track with your new disciplines tomorrow morning. (Plus, Monday is the same day you always start your new diet.)
Day 6: Monday. Too tired after a long weekend. Need the extra sleep. Hit snooze button. Feel a little guilty, but the tiredness drowns out the guilt.
Day 7 and following: During the next week or so, you find some victory with your program, but you meet more defeat. Guilt reemerges because you're not as consistent as you want to be. Even when you do connect with God, you're tired and unfocused. It feels forced, more like obligation than desire. You're just going through the motions in order to check off that box that will haunt you if it's empty.
Soon you quit that early morning "habit" (not sure it was long-lived enough to officially be titled a habit). You don't quit out of disgust. You don't quit out of frustration. You just quietly stop.
If that describes you, please know that you're not alone. Actually, you're most likely in the majority. Your problem isn't the lack of desire. You truly crave a connection with God. You want your heart to be full. You long to know God more deeply and be more intimately connected to Him. So what's wrong? Why does connecting with God seem so difficult to do?
I believe the problem appears when unrealistic expectations are attached to an unrealistic plan. You agreed to an unreasonable plan. You couldn't figure out how to weave it into the life you already lead. The good habit you tried to form proved unsustainable. It just didn't work for you. Again, you're not alone. According to research, only about half of all Christian adults have a regular "quiet time"-and even then, they connect with God on their own only about one time a week.
And based on my experiences and conversations as a pastor for more than twenty-five years, I'd bet even fewer are connecting with God on a regular basis than those numbers indicate.
As I already mentioned, I know that failure and the disappointment it brings all too well. I have a strong desire to know God and His Word-really, I do. And I, too, have tried the "through the Bible in a year" plan for ... uh, I don't know ... twenty years? I hate to admit it, but I always fail. Always! I've read Genesis more times than anyone on the planet. I start off with a bang in January, but because I need to read three chapters every single day to stay on track, by mid-February I'm so far behind that I've got to try to read all of Leviticus in one sitting to catch up (it's next to impossible-at least if I plan to understand what I'm reading). It's like that diet I start every Monday, when my best intentions get thrown at those ten extra pounds, but nothing ever seems to change. Even though I genuinely want to connect with God, I can't keep up with that strategy. And because I don't, I feel guilty. I must not be a very good Christian, I think miserably.
Guilt and Comparison
Most Christians claim to want to connect with God regularly-or at least they want the benefits of the richer spiritual life that result from consistent connections. But when it comes to turning desire into discipline, most don't. Failure gives birth to guilt.
This guilt can be crushing. Wonderful men and women (like you) limp through the Christian life marred by it. It's guilt, guilt, guilt 24/7-I don't pray enough. I'm not reading the Bible like I should. I haven't witnessed to my neighbor. I don't spend enough time with God ... Guilty.
If guilt defines you, I'm so sorry. I pray that you'll come to see that you're not a "lousy Christian" if you don't have a traditional quiet time. The Christian life is not about locks and chains. Jesus Christ came to set us free. Yes, some guilt may serve as God's motivator, but too many Christians cower because of false guilt- aka condemnation-that they've heaped upon their own shoulders because they've compared themselves to an unrealistic model and come up short. That type of guilt is wrong and unfair, and it will weigh you down and wear you out.
Comparison is deadly, yet so natural. It's easy to place ourselves next to someone we think has it together spiritually, constantly taking mental notes on how we don't measure up. Yet comparison only assumes that others are doing what we're not, and so we end up contrasting what we know about ourselves (everything) with what we don't really know about others (which is almost everything). Again, not fair.
Then, to make matters worse, we hear stories about people such as Martin Luther, who awoke each day at 4:00 a.m. and spent hours with God. "I have so much to do today that I should spend the first three hours in prayer," he said. Now, that really piles on the guilt. I'm really happy for Martin Luther that he was able to pull that off. But, as for me, I'm not a morning person. I didn't even know there was a 4:00 a.m. until I read his quote in seminary.
How about Mother Teresa's famous saying: "Spend one hour a day in adoration of your Lord and never do anything you know is wrong, and you will be all right." Yeah, right! I'd much rather hear something about how she couldn't find her Bible because she hadn't read it in two weeks. I'd love a quote like that! "Amen!" I'd say. "Preach it, sister. Share another failure so I don't feel like a spiritual loser!" Oh well, I guess just the great ones make it into the quote books that supply pastors' sermons.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ-please read this very carefully-there's a good reason why Mother Teresa and Martin Luther were recognized for their faith: one spent forty years in Calcutta and won the Nobel Peace Prize for working with the world's poorest of the poor; the other turned all of Christendom on its head. Their greatness wasn't just in their accomplishments; they were also deeply dependent and consistent in their relationship with God. And if you're anything like me, well, then you're almost nothing like them. Most days we feel more like Mother Goose than Mother Teresa. That's because, in comparison, you and I are ordinary people who live ordinary lives: we're carpool parents juggling jam-packed schedules; businesspeople balancing careers and family; university students carrying full class loads; new moms and dads figuring out how to get children to sleep so we can find a few minutes of quiet; grandparents who are active in families and communities.
Please stop comparing. You're not Mother Teresa or Martin Luther. Neither am I. You're you! God designed you to be you in your faith too. I'm not suggesting that you can't have an intimacy with God similar to that of other heroes of our faith; of course you can. But I'm asking you to quit comparing, and instead be challenged to learn how to be spiritually refueled in realistic ways that fit with how you're wired. You can do this! I know you can.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from REFUEL by DOUG FIELDS Copyright © 2008 by Doug Fields. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Chapter 1 I'm a Spiritual Loser....................1Chapter 2 Ditch the Guilt....................17
Chapter 3 Stop....................35
Chapter 4 Be Quiet....................55
Chapter 5 Make a Connection....................75
Chapter 6 Designed for Greatness....................95
Discussion Questions....................113
About the Author....................131