Racing the Motor

            The heart of any automobile is the motor.  We want power, economy, smoothness.  The salesman will lift up the hood and let the customer listen to the motor.

            But the customer, if he buys the car, will not take the care home, start the motor and simply listen to it run.  Or, if he wants to get somewhere in a hurry he will not simply start the motor and race it.  Power and purr are desirable and necessary, but there must be more.

            A good car must have a good transmission, a series of gears or converters, to transmit the motor’s power through a drive shaft to the wheels.  If the car is to move, power must activate the transmission.

            Automobile specialists warn us against racing the motor of a standing car.  But there is no harm done to a motor when the car is driven at a good speed on the highway.  The motor is made to be geared to motion.

            Is not this a parable of spiritual life?  We pray for power, fullness of power, smoothness of power.  Without doubt that power, is available from God.  But when we receive that power, do we transmit that power to active service?

            Assuredly we ought to do as Peter and John:  “Such as I have, give I thee.”  As we receive, we should give.

            May our revival efforts be more than “racing the motor.”  May our own prayer and devotional efforts be geared into actual service for Christ in our church, community, neighborhood.

            Let us pray for a good “transmission.”

--George E. Failing