Prime the Pump

1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

The grass is growing.

Not mowing the yard is one of the advantages of living in a condo. Of course, we pay a fee for others to rev the engines and ride around our part of the common space, but we don’t miss mowing.

I remember learning from my dad to prime the pump—before I started the mower. If I didn’t prime the pump, mechanical failure caused the mower to stop working.

Over the years, when we owned homes with yards, we took turns mowing, but Tim did most of it. I enjoyed it until my allergies caused me too much discomfort. No matter how many times we mowed, the pump got primed when it needed to.

Now, when I think of priming the pump, my mind goes to spiritual matters. I’ve seen this quote many times: “You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” Some attribute it to CS Lewis, but others say it’s anonymous. Regardless, I find myself understanding I need to prime my spiritual pump to take care of my soul.

Every day, I prime my physical pump with coffee to start the day. Maybe you get your pump going with tea, juice, or a smoothie, but how do I prepare my soul to face the day?

I try to spend a bit of time in the morning reading scripture while I sip my coffee. Some verses I read to prime my pump include: Galatians 5:22-23 (The Fruit of the Spirit) Proverbs 3:5-6 (Trust in the Lord) Romans 15:13 (Hope) and 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (How to live my life) and so many more.

The Bible primes my pump and so does Sunday morning worship. I love the music we sing at church and what I listen to on the Christian radio channel. It fills my heart with joy. I love learning from the sermons and from sharing with friends and family about scripture throughout the week.

How do you prime your spiritual pump? Music, scripture, community? Whatever it is, keep at it.