Keep your gas tank full

May 21, 2021 | 36 comments

If you’re going on a long car trip, it’s wise to fill up your tank with gas before you go lest you run out of gas on the way.

Some road trips have frequent gas station stops, and one doesn’t worry about finding enough gas while driving. But there are stretches of road in wilderness areas where gas stations are hard to find. One must plan to be sure they have enough gas to get to the next destination.

The same rule applies to traveling through our days. We need to be sure there is enough “gas in our tank” to get through the day successfully. The “gas in our tank,” is spiritual inspiration.

If we start our day on a full tank of gas, it’s likely we get much further with good results.

Some types of activities allow for frequent “gas stops,” where one can stop what they are humanly doing and solely focus on God’s presence for a few minutes to remember what is true and what is not true. But some activities might become like wilderness areas where stops for gas are infrequent. To get through those wilderness moments, one needs to enter them with a full tank of gas!

Be wise. Plan ahead! Be fair to yourself. Start your day on a full tank of gas.

Set sufficient time aside to get super quiet with God, to pray in earnest, study and learn about God, and gain new fresh insight that inspires. Enter your day with abounding spiritual inspiration, confidence, and strength.

Run on a full gas tank!

36 thoughts on “Keep your gas tank full”

  1. Thank you Evan for this wonderful idea of filling up our God-tank with God’s inspiration and guidance.

    So many times during the day I go to a “rest stop” and refuel by turning to. my Bible and Science and Health. I have a well-worn Science and Health in my car and often open at random to a page before I head out on an errand. Science and Health is my road-side assistance agent and always meets the need at hand.

    This SV is also so on point given the recent gas shortage in the southeastern part of the US. We were on vacation in North Carolina when it hit. As we set out to fill up our tank, at first I was pressed by the long lines at every gas station. But I turned it around by remembering that God is in control. In a matter of minutes we found a station and it seems as if the way just opened up to a pump. We were on our way with a filled up tank in record time and filled up grateful hearts.

    God is so good. God does not leave us stranded on the road. God fills us up with His fuel, His love.

    1. Thank you Evan for your helpful analogy-to fill up our gas tank.
      Madeline- I love your interpretation of road side assistance! I love the healings that come- that are a play on words. They are simple and so meaningful.

    2. Thank you, for some reason it never occurred to me to keep a Science and Health in my car for inspiration along the way. Even though I often have Christian Science magazines to give out I’ve not thought of reading them regularly for spiritual refuelling.

      1. I, too, had not thought of keeping a S&H in my car for spiritual refreshment during the day or a lengthy travel.thanks you for this stunning convenience!

  2. What a lovely out-of-the-box metaphor for travelling through the wilderness periods of our days! I love it!

    Thanks as always for these beacons of spiritual light you share every day Evan

  3. Thank you, Evan, for this idea. Makes me think of the parable of the 10 virgins and the 5 wise ones which took extra oil (or inspiration) for their lamps (or days). See Mathew chap 25.

  4. We have a small RV that requires diesel fuel and not gas. Gas would ruin the engine just as putting diesel into a gas powered engine would ruin it. We are careful always to put diesel in the RV and gas in the car. It is important to put the right fuel into our tanks.

  5. Excellent reminder. A true “word picture” blessing for us all. Thank you!

  6. Any suggestions from folks here on how they fill their gas tank? One method which has helped me is to use a composition book, or notebook, and write out truths from the Bible and Mrs. Eddy’s writings on one side from the Lesson or a topic I’m studying. Then on the opposite page use those pages to specifically apply them to the situation being prayed about. Anybody else find something which works for them regarding study and practice – filling up their tanks with truths?

    1. Linda, loved your method of organizing the ideas that way in a notebook. Writing things out is a powerful way to see more clearly. Error hates it when I pick up my pen to write down the truths that come to me.

      I am mostly more organic in my approach and just try to get as as I can quiet and ask God for help, as in the verse, “Be still and know that I am God.” That makes mortal thoughts begin to fade into the distance and I start to remember what’s real. Also love CS lectures and re-reading favorite CS articles, listening to Bible lesson. Hymns are very powerful too. Thanks for your question, I will enjoy hearing other’s responses.

    2. I like your idea Linda. I also like the idea of having a folder with healing Truths organised into topics for quick reference.
      I actually don’t use it that often but the exercise of adding to it is helpful, for me. (I use computer but it could be done on hard copy.)

  7. God is always full of divine ideas to meet our need. We show up before Him humbly at the gas pump and receive the outpouring/inpouring of Truth.

    It made me think of what Mrs. Eddy said (The First Church of Christ Scientist and Miscellany p. 210) about letting our thoughts be so filled with truth and love that nothing unlike good can possibly enter. She said, “It is plain that nothing can be added to the mind already full.”

    Sometimes I would read that statement and think, well it’s a good thought but what if I try to do that and I miss a spot and leave a little room for a lie to enter. A fearful, human, limited thought that implies I am the do-er and have to humanly make that fullness happen. That’s error trying to sneak in the back door and tempt me to believe there is a loophole in this beautiful idea. I think if I turn to God humbly and ask to be filled with His inspiration I will be fulled to the brim and overflowing.

    As in Malachi 3:10: He will “…..open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Thank you and Love to Evan and all the wise and wonderful Spiritviewers.

  8. Thank you Evan, and all!
    Here’s a method of working I heard a long time ago from a practitioner:
    Draw a line lengthwise down middle of paper -that’s the “yellow line down the middle of the road”-then write at the top “Left and Right”. On the left side write the specific problem and on the right side, the specific Truth to handle it. Make a list of however many issues you’re having and their specific truths. When finished, remind yourself to stay on the right side of the road!

  9. I’ve found this method especially helpful when dealing with a number of challenges which come all at the same time. When I’m done the feeling of being overwhelmed always goes away.

    1. Excellent method Nancy! Especially when the lies seem to be coming in droves ( like a challenge might not throw me off- but several will trip me up and I’ll not know which to deal with) let’s call it distraction!
      But the concept I must first deal with is the claim that matter(so called) has no power to multiply! One or Many are the same lie that there is another Truth beside God and his infinitude, infinite is alway more tha several! Thank you for sharing this method!
      And seeing a way to handle multiple claims! 10 times nothing is still nothing!
      Now Ican look for the spiritual facts that anhilate each one! How grateful I am for this blog and Evan’s great examples of bringing them into focusing ways we can understand and relate to!

  10. To quote our dear leader from Science and Health, “We cannot fill vessels already full. They must first be emptied…….
    “The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love.”

  11. Spirit View is the first “pit stop” of my day. 🙂 Thank you Evan and all who comment. Last year I started a journal and have written down many spiritual nuggets of wisdom from Spirit View, commenters, articles, the Bible, Science & Health, other writings, etc. I will randomly turn to it throughout the day; and it’s fun to see what inspiring idea I open up to. It can be challenging to keep though uplifted, especially when things aren’t going smoothly, so it makes me think of Fenella Bennetts article “We are never stuck in a maze”.
    https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/2017/2/135-02/we-are-never-stuck-in-a-maze
    She talks about a garden maze in London and how visitors can get lost, but the view become perfectly clear when looking at the maze from above. And so with thought it’s constantly turning to that spiritual view and inspiration throughout the day. I’m not sure the article will open…maybe someone could please attach it.

    1. Thank you dear LP for the link to the Journal aticle by Fenella Bennett. But I cannot read the whole as it doesn’t open fully.

      Can somebody help that the article opens up completely ? Would be very grateful!

      1. Hi Uta. I couldn’t get it fully either as I am not a subscriber to JSH online, which maybe you aren’t either and the reason neither of us could get it in full.

  12. Thank you so much Evan for the comparison. I love ideas like this. Thank u everyone for sharing. What great ways to apply this science

  13. I never start my day without reading the Christian Science Bible Lesson. It’s my first “fill up” each day as my thoughts are most receptive for good at that time. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts on this subject today, too.

  14. Brilliant reminder today , thank you Evan. Love reading about all the various methods we use to refer quickly to meaningful ‘tank fillers!’ I guess I do a mix of everything mentioned plus favourite bible quotes in my purse, on the fridge and on my window ledges in the office. I must mention the wonderful resource of treatments …all categorised….we have access to here on Spirit View. We are so looked after by Evan.
    A couple of years ago I attended a lecture in Windermere. I don’t usually drive myself , especially an unknown route too. Even got lost round some one way systems. On reaching the church I was welcomed and asked how far I had come and confessed my uneasiness driving alone. This lovely church member just looked me in the eye and said..’my dear, just remember that God is in that car with you ..you’re never alone.’ I drove home later on a tank full of Love and inspiration. Didn’t take even one wrong turn either❣️

  15. Thank you Evan and all. I was reminded of Mrs. Eddy saying “Keep your violin (fiddle?) in tune. Not sure where you can find it, but I think it was a reminiscence.

  16. Yes, I start with filling up my metaphysical tank with spiritual gas studying the important weekly lesson sermon from our pastor “Bible and Science and Health”. Sometimes I do half of it, then pray and do neccessary errands. This morning I got an invoice with a relatively high sum to pay for cleaning my roof. After my neighbor went to that company declaring that that is double as much as it was last year, the company took back my invoice saying that I must not pay for it. For me it was a release and a result for laying aside quiet time with God – spiritual insights that we are His spiritual expression of Soul, God, and that God governs all my doings and intentions. But after my shopping, lunch and a bit rest I had the longing that I should now read the second half of the lesson sermon. That was a refreshing time full of comfort. And in the Evening I listened and watched Andrew D Brewis spiritual concert with a lovely guest singer via Facebook.
    Thank you God for this day and for your presence wih us all!

    But one can see I filled my “tank” a second time and am grateful for that highly valuable tank filling!!! Thanks again, Evan for your refreshing humor and healing and helpful spiritual views !

    Dear SpiritView friends, thank you all for your lovely and helpful comments !

  17. Thank you, Evan, and I so appreciate the comments and encouragement from thoughtful readers. I read the Bible Lesson in full with a different study “tool” each day. I highlight in yellow all descriptions of God. The next day I highlight in pink everything about the Christ, and Christ Jesus’ words. The next day I highlight in blue everything about man in God’s image and likeness. Next day I highlight all about AM or the carnal mind in green. Another day all commands/instruction in orange. Purple for promises and blessings. Overall, it affords me quick references for treatment and prayer. I will also add a change by reading all the Bible citations in full, followed by all S&H citations in full. Throw in the Bible research notes and different Bibles as given with Online lessons and hymns, I am always inspired and enjoy each morning study. I then head to the high school and work with over 60 eight graders from challenging home backgrounds adapt to the high school community, easily loving and supporting them. Without the full tank of gas, I would get cranky, feel despair over their home life and lose my patience. I can testify to great days on a full tank and poor days on an empty one…. again I love and appreciate Spirit View and it’s enriching community members.

  18. Angie, thanks so much for the link to:
    DEMONSTRATING DAY AS DIVINE IDEA
    It was just the inspiration I needed, and I was so grateful that I was able to listen to the audio. I will be listening again.

    1. Thanks Lori for your thoughtful notes; we’re all so grateful -like we gather for our Sunday School sessions in SpiritView, with Evan as our inspiring host : – )

  19. Thanks, LP for the link to “We are never stuck in a maze”. It worked perfectly and I was so inspired by this article I have forwarded it to myself to read it again.

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