When we think things are going just fine, we get sloppy. At least that’s me. Then slowly, using more fill in the blank than we have, day by day, we run out. We don’t fill ourselves back up to replenish our resources and then we run out. It’s when we run out that we are worthless. Ok we’re not really worthless but what use is a car without any gas in it for someone that needs to get to work? You can shift it to neutral and get out and push but that’s not practical.
Let’s discuss neutral for a minute. What’s it like to be in neutral? When you’re in neutral it means anyone or anything can come and push you backwards or forwards out of your control. You are like a boat, lost at sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James reference: the who who doubts) What about in drive? In drive you can only go forward but you can only be in drive when the car or “you” are turned on, your pistons firing, and gas pumping. You are engaged. You have somewhere to go and you’re moving. Isn’t that nice?
Being in the D-shift is ideal but it isn’t easy. The mind is an interesting thing. Parts of it are beyond your control. Depression. No one wakes up one morning and thinks, “Hey maybe instead of having a good day filled with stuff I want to do, challenges to grow me and people that I love to interact with, I’ll do N O T H I N G.” Would anybody willingly choose that? No, there’s something that happens in the mind, sneaks up behind you and takes away what you W A N T and hands you crap. Here ya go. Even trade, right? We’re square now? Good. Great doing business with you. That would be stupid. So, the question is how do you handle something that catches you off guard? What is your escape route when things go awry “upstairs”?
People say that you have to choose to do something about it. Ok, I get that. You have a choice. With that choice though has to be belief behind it. Conviction. You have to believe that your choice is going to matter. Change something. Do something different. Even small steps in the right direction will you take you from where you are RIGHT NOW.
You only have a limited set of resources. Limited amount of energy each day. So you have to make a decision on what to spend that energy on. It’s like shopping. Shopping for your life. You have this much to spend. $$ You need these things. You would like a little bit of this and that too, if you can spare it.
It should be obvious then to spend what you have on what you need first, right? It’s not that easy though. Define “need”. What you need sometimes is not maybe what you need all the time. I know it’s not.
You hear people say things like:
“I just needed a hug.”
“I just need some time alone.”
“I need some time to think.”
“I need to be heard.”
I think the trick is knowing what you need, even anticipating it, before the need OVERWHELMS you. When you are running on fumes and your “supply” is running out, you can get panicky and desperate. Those are the times when people can get crazy. You have to look and see what’s underneath that outburst or that change in them. It’s funny; we always seem so baffled when we hear of a crazy story on the 6:00 news of some person doing something outrageous enough to, you know, get on the 6:00 news. How long have they been running on fumes to get there? How many nights have they fought off those internal demons? What if you lost everything? Your family. Your job. Your church. How would you deal with it?
I guess in that way, we do have a choice. We have got to decide to get what we need in a positive manner before the low fuel light comes on. Are we willing to stock up now for what we’re going to need later or are we afraid of looking needy or weak? Can any of us really do it on our own? Ask yourself one question: What’s holding you back from getting what you really want? Fear?
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” 1 JOHN 4:18
adam parkhurst 
Thanks, good article.