How to avoid catastrophic failure
Many years ago, I purchased a used riding lawn mower to help cut down my time on chores. As a homeowner, my weekly chore and repair list can be pretty extensive, so anywhere I try to find any way I can be more efficient. This riding lawn mower generally requires minimal maintenance to keep it operational.
This bare-bones mower has a seat, four tires, and a simple engine that doesn’t even use an oil filter. Routine maintenance involves sharpening the blade and changing the air filter every season. I also do a cursory check of the gears and belts to make sure all is operational.
However, there are two things I must check every time I operate this used mower. The first is to see if it has enough gasoline. The second and most critical is the oil level. Checking the oil level is so essential because it tells me how much “blood” is in the engine. Without oil, the engine will “freeze up” and become useless.
Engines use oil to keep the internal moving parts properly lubricated. When the parts are appropriately lubricated, it reduces friction and wear on the engine. When the engine doesn’t have enough oil, it causes the engine parts to produce damaging friction, resulting in overheating, warping, and eventually catastrophic failure.
Scripture teaches that our spirit should also operate like a well-oiled machine. Therefore, we require God’s Spirit to continually pour into us and give us the life-giving element we need to function at our best. Conversely, when we deprive ourselves of God’s life-giving Spirit, we set ourselves up for catastrophic failure.
Daily Directive:
Answer and Journal the Following
Read:
Romans 5:3-5
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Pray:
Pray to be receptive and desire for the Spirit to fill you continually.
Meditate / Make It Real:
Contemplate and meditate on or memorize the passage. What is God saying to you? Then, determine what you will do with what you’ve learned.
Share / Show:
Share and show what you’ve learned with someone else.