Whether or not you own a vehicle, everyone knows that you cannot drive a vehicle without periodically servicing it. Well, technically you could but, one day you’d awaken and that vehicle would not move. How much more important it is for us to be spiritually serviced? Never thought about it huh? If you don’t take time to get spiritually serviced, one day you will wake up and you won’t function. But, like the vehicle, there will be many lights that come on, on the dashboard that you or I would have ignored, before we “stop functioning”. Now I am no mechanic but I always read my receipt and I always, ALWAYS, ask questions. Oh and there’s is Google, my dad, my brother in law, ex boyfriend, uncle, or whichever man in my life I, in my own estimation, think is knowledgeable, for the fact checking. The dealer wants my money so they will tell me anything, right?
So what does spiritual servicing entail? How often must you do it? We know that there are different makes and models of vehicles. And, we also know that the year of the vehicle, how often you drive it and the terrain on which it is driven, also factor into the servicing. But how does your mechanic or dealer knows what to service? My service dealer normally does an assessment to find out what needs to be done. So what does our spiritual service dealer do when we pull in to the spiritual garage? Let’s take a look
Assessment: With the help of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God is our manual. It is our guide. It is our blueprint. In order to know how we are doing and where we will need servicing, we will need to look at our lives through the lens of the Word. But as the Bible states, and I am paraphrasing, spiritual things cannot be naturally discerned. As such, we need the Holy Spirit to quicken us as we are reading the word. After all, He was given to us to guide us into all truth. And there are levels to the truth ingrained within the Word! Copious amounts I tell you! And the same scripture can take on different meanings at different service appointments. Why? Because we would have travelled to different places, experienced new things and so the understanding with which we return is richer.
Oil change: There is a mileage requirement (or monthly interval) that “triggers” the need for an oil change. What does that mean for us? What does the oil represent? In the Old Testament, oil was used to anoint new kings. I believe that too often we try to operate on a new level, in a new season, with the old anointing. Sometimes we get complacent and try to take the things that were meant to transition us to our present level into the new one. I believe that the outpouring of the Spirit increases in tandem with the profundity of our next level. Therefore, when we pull in for an oil change, God gives us of His anointing, what we will need for the next level. When was your last oil change?
Filter: If a filter is clogged, can it filter? Yes it is a rhetorical, commonsensical question. Sometimes, the filter needs a little cleaning, a lot of cleaning and other times, we just have to throw out the old one and get a new one. Sometimes the filter gets torn. The things we watch and listen to can affect our spiritual filter. What are we allowing to enter and damage our filter? Today, let the Word of God wash out the deception or the things that, although not evil or satanic, are simply not expedient for this level.
Top up: How many of us check the levels of our windscreen washer fluid? Really now, let us be honest. Oftentimes it is when we go to clean the windscreen and the little squirt comes up that we realise we have ran out. But that is not the only fluid that exists for the vehicle. Likewise, spiritually, when we give of ourselves to others and we allow God to use us, we run low. So when we go to our service appointment, God has to refill us. This cannot happen without us laying out before God, prostrate in worship. In so doing we empty out ourselves and allow God to top us up or fill us up with what we need.
Nuts, bolts, screws: Rugged terrain can do a number on the vehicles’ “front end”. Trials, tribulations, testing, sickness, and storms can really wear us down and out. We get to that place where we feel like throwing in the towel. We cry out in anguish and lament how we’ve been obedient and yet we are being lambasted by the enemy. His shellackings are relentless in some seasons and we feel spiritually dizzy. As we are driven along, all types of knocking sounds and creaks can be heard. But I know a Mechanic (almost feel like I’m preaching whew child!)! God can tighten everything that is loose in our spiritual front end.
Major repairs: For the strong willed amongst us, we often keep running long after every single warning light is on, on the dashboard. We literally run ourselves to wreck before limping to our service appointment. The task He has for us requires that we be strong willed. Nonetheless, we have to balance that with a bend towards God. So we are tough when we need to be yet pliable in the Master’s hand. God is so gracious. The awesome thing about God is that even when we destroy the engine or transmission, we are not beyond His reach. It might require several days of work but when He is finished it will be as if we were just created.
So, what is your mileage? Have you been putting off your service appointment because you can’t “afford it”? Actually, you cannot not afford it!
How often should you go in? As often as you need it. That depends on where you are on your journey. So, have you made your appointment yet?
GMW