Tom Stolle: Sometimes the Tank Is Empty
I am looking forward to the Refueled Men’s Conference. I love the title, “Refueled.”
Often, I need to be refilled. I need more gas in my tank. My engine runs hard. Life is busy. The phrase “daily grind” comes to mind. There is a lot to do, and it feels like there is never enough time to get everything done. The demands never end, so the work never ends. I keep going and going and going.
Like a car, I need to be refueled. Men, you know what I mean!
Life doesn’t slow down. God designed men to work. Men are to provide. The Bible is clear in 1 Timothy 5:8 (ESV): “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
“Denied the faith” and “worse than an unbeliever” sound serious. God is clear in His Word. We must work and provide.
But being a good worker and a good provider isn’t enough. God also calls us as men to serve our wives. We are called to excel in this service!
“Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything He does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already ‘one’ in marriage.”
Ephesians 5:25–28 (The Message)
It’s not enough to work hard. It’s not enough to provide material things. Men, we must give as Christ gave. We must not hold anything back, including ourselves. That’s not always easy!
We are also called to lead! Being a leader isn’t just about what you say. Anyone can say anything. It’s about who you are. It requires discipline and consistency. It requires doing what we are supposed to do, even when we don’t feel like it.
“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:5–9 (NLT)
Note that these verses mention “commit yourselves wholeheartedly” and “repeat them again and again.” We are to talk about God’s commands at home, away from home, in the morning and in the evening.
In other words, the active love for God and commitment to Him in how we lead must never stop.
I could go on and on. There is so much in Scripture that talks about leadership. We could dive in a lot deeper, but you get the point. Working, providing, serving and leading while navigating the challenges of a fallen world can feel heavy.
Our engines run hard. Our gas tanks empty.
We need to be refueled!
Men, I hope to see you on April 18 at our Refueled Men’s Conference. Get some rest. Meet some new people. Praise our God. Leave equipped — leave REFUELED!!!
I’ll see you there!
Tom Stolle serves as the BCM/D Executive Director/CFO
Feature Photo by Sharon Mager