Regular Maintenance

If you have ever looked at the owner's manual for an automobile, you have no doubt noticed the sections that stress the importance of performing regular maintenance. Engine oil needs to be changed, tires need to be rotated, brakes have to be serviced, and fluid levels have to be checked. Even the most reliable vehicles will gradually fall apart if they are not maintained regularly. For many of us, regular maintenance is hard to keep up with. If your car is currently running fine, it's easy to put off the preventative maintenance that is needed and focus on the more pressing matters of everyday life.

But if you wait long enough, you will no doubt be reminded of that need at the most inconvenient time with either a flat tire, smoke coming from your engine, or a car that won't start. And it is in those times that the value of regular maintenance is most readily apparent.

Christians require regular maintenance, too. Zeal needs to be replenished, hearts need to be softened, friendships need to be strengthened, and knowledge needs to be expanded. But just like it's easy to put off maintenance on your car when it is running well, it's also easy for Christians to put our Christianity on autopilot.

When we get worn down by the daily grind of the world, we may continue to go through the motions of "being a Christian", but that is often where we leave it. And that may seem to work fine for a while, but eventually, something will happen to us that will put stress on our faith. And at that point it will become obvious if we have been neglecting our spiritual maintenance.

The apostle Paul wrote frequently about the need to renew our minds.  For example, in Romans 12:1-2 he says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world.  But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what ios that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

And there are many ways we can renew our spiritual minds. Of course, we can read and study the Bible more, or improve our prayer lives. Those things are always good, but they are solitary activities. Beyond that, some of the best ways we can strengthen our faith are things that involve other people. We can look for opportunities to reach out to those in need. Or invite people into our homes. Or help out with a Bible class. The more we bring other people into our lives, especially other Christians, the stronger our faith will be.



We must not wait until our faith is tested before we do the things needed to strengthen our faith. Don't put off your spiritual maintenance!

-Jeff Enoch (August 2017)