What’s on the Inside?

A little earlier today, I had to pick up my car from the repair shop. Yes, this was Kellenberger’s and they did a great job with the repair, but something hit me as I was thinking about what needed to be done. The original problem was a “seep” in one of my radiator hoses which keeps the anti-freeze flowing through the engine, pretty important to the long life of a vehicle. Well, what started as a “seep,” turned into a leak which signaled the need for an immediate response. It wasn’t the radiator, water pump, or other engine component, but a rubber hose. How can something so simple, cause such problems…

Jesus once told some people around him that they were “whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of uncleanliness.” (Matthew 23:27) He is speaking harsh words to the scribes and Pharisees of the day, telling them that while they are trying to live up to the law of Moses, they are missing the greater picture. They want to be seen as perfect and pure people but are wasting away on the inside.

Sooner or later, the decay that they are experiencing on the inside will surface. This will cause great trouble in their spiritual lives as well as the lives of those around them. Jesus is asking for a change of heart, a repair of the soul, maybe even a cleansing from within. The inside should match the outside.

How is your spiritual life? Does it look good from the outside but lack spiritual depth? Are you more concerned by what people see than what God sees?

As I thought about the radiator hoses on my car, I realized that on the outside they looked fine. These hoses seemed to be doing what they were designed to do, but upon a mechanics inspection, they could tell that something was wrong. They knew that they were deteriorating from the inside out and would one day cause a catastrophic failure. What I, and others around me, couldn’t see, was about to tear up the engine that gets me from one space to another. It was certainly a good thing to have someone diagnose the problem before it became a real problem.

Is the Holy Spirit diagnosing something in your life? Do you need to make a change? Lent is a season of reflection and repentance, so maybe God is working on you in this time, asking for a change in the flow of life-giving water from Jesus Christ. How are the hoses that allow that allow that water to flow in your life? Do they need to be changed? Maybe it’s time to schedule a visit to your “Mechanic.”

Change?

So, something happened to me today that got me thinking. I know, that’s a dangerous thing at times, but hear me out. This morning I got in my car to head off to the Wednesday morning Panera Bread Bible study group. When I sat in my car, I was very aware that I was not the last person to drive it. My wife took my car into Rockford the day before. It is obvious that my car is much better on gas mileage than her van. If you haven’t notice before, her legs are shorter than mine and therefore driver’s seats change with each time we drive one another’s vehicles. However, it is rare that she will drive my “stick-shift” Chevy Cruze.

We switch back and forth with the van seat often, but my car’s driver’s seat rarely changes. It probably has been a good six months since the last time she drove it. Well, when I sat down, I felt like I was in the back seat. She had been kind and moved it back, so I didn’t bang my knees on the dashboard, but the seat was still not where I had it before. It took a little adjustment time before I felt comfortable again, but then I realized something. After the adjustment, I realized that I was sitting a little further back than I normally was, and it was more comfortable than the previous setting. Imagine that, things were better than before!

As I thought about our journey as Christians and the many ways God challenges us to make changes in our lives, I began to wonder about the ‘normal’ stance on change. We don’t like it, we resist it, and we fight it. But why? So many times, we find out that life after the change is better. We’ve been driving with our seat in the same position for so long that we just ‘know’ that it could never get better.

But then something happens, and we are forced, whether through God’s nudging, outside circumstance, or just a deliberate decision that we make, to change something in our lives. To our surprise, the new circumstance is better than before. Maybe we are more productive, streamlined, or just more comfortable. The change wasn’t so bad after all, it was just the fear of the process that held us back.

John’s vision in Revelation 21 tells us, “And he who was seated on the throne said; Behold, I am making all things new.” We are in a constant mode of change. This is what it means to become more like Christ in our daily faith journey. Every day brings about new circumstance where we can learn, grow, and expand our understanding of the Triune God.

When your seat gets moved, don’t just complain about it. Try something new, change your approach and open your heart to a new message. Follow the Spirit’s guidance as you learn new paths and new destinations. There are lessons everywhere.