Why Is A Bumper Car More Spiritual?

You likely already know this, but I am in the car business and I have been for all of my life. As a result, I love cars! I enjoy all kinds of cars (even those I can never afford!), but one of my favorite kinds of cars is the bumper car. Imagine my excitement when I recently discovered that bumper cars are more spiritual than traditional cars! Do you want to know why?

Important Principle To Learn

Obviously, there is not one car that is more spiritual than another. At the same time, I believe there is an important principle we can learn in comparing the bumper car to the traditional car with a gas-burning engine. Once you have read this post, I think you will agree with giving to advantage to the bumper car!

The traditional car as I am defining it has an internal combustion engine and a gas tank. This car will serve its function as long as there is gas in the tank. Once that tank runs empty, the car will stop in its tracks. It will not move again until the tank is refilled with gas.

Bumper Car Power

The bumper car is different. On a basic level, the bumper car relies on electricity flowing through the motor to keep it moving. It will serve its function as long as there is a source of electricity and it is in contact with that source.

According to Wikipedia, “the oldest and most common method [supplying power to a bumper car] uses a conductive floor and ceiling, each with a separate power polarity. Contacts under the vehicle touch the floor while a pole-mounted contact touches the ceiling, forming a complete circuit.” If the bumper car loses contact with the power, the circuit is broken and the bumper car stops.

Christians Are The Same Way

Folks, I believe this comparison is a great picture of today’s Christians. There are many out there (including myself at times) that operate in our faith like the traditional car operates. We get our tanks filled on a Sunday morning and we expect that tank to last until the next Sunday morning.

The problem arises when we have to exercise our faith more than normal. In these cases, we likely run out of “fuel” mid-week! Have you ever experienced that? When we run out, our faith “stops” or fails. We begin to doubt or stress (or both!).

According to where we are in our spiritual maturity, some of us has built larger tanks than others. While this may be helpful at times, even we find ourselves on empty. And just like running out of gas in a car, it often happens at the worse possible time, right?!?

What If We Changed?

What if we converted our faith over to the bumper car layout? What if we discarded our “fuel” tank and instead relied on a constant contact with our Source of power? Imagine what our “driving range” would look like if we maintained constant contact with the One who gives us power? What would our resulting impact look like?

If you don’t believe me, let’s just look at what Jesus said in John 15:4-5.

Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.

Designed For Constant Contact

Folks, we are not designed to operate in our faith like a traditional car runs on fuel in a tank. We are designed for full and constant contact with Jesus. We are designed to run on His power, not our own. When we break contact and try to operate on what we have stored in a tank, we are ineffective at best. At worst, we find frustration, depression, and even destruction.

I encourage you to begin looking to convert your drivetrain! Move away from the traditional Sunday-filled fuel tank toward a more efficient, more powerful, and much more effective constant contact with the ultimate power Source! Remain in Him and you will produce much fruit!

How do you get your strength – fuel tank or constant contact?

Does the bumper car illustration strike a cord with you?

Are you prepared to live like the bumper car?

Photo by June Marie/Flickr