Maintenance

Take a minute and think of all the things in your daily life that require periodic and routine maintenance......and why those things require it.  The main reason for periodic and scheduled maintenance is to prevent breakdowns and to ensure a longer life for whatever it is you maintain.

• You pay good money for a car.  What happens to that car if you don't regularly change the oil, wash it, clean it out, check the tires, and provide other services on it at regular intervals?  It won't last as long as it normally should.
• You take on a huge financial commitment when you buy a house.  What happens to that house if you don't regularly clean it, attend to the paint, clean the windows, regularly maintain the HVAC systems?  It can easily become a "dump" worth far less than what it should among other things.
• You spend time and money on the yard and landscaping so it looks appealing and makes the whole property increase in value.  What happens when you don't mow, weed, fertilize, and water on a regular basis?  It can soon look like an inner-city dump lot can't it?

Let's assume for a minute that you are planning on, or are already working on your spiritual condition....and this applies across the whole range from those who want to learn a spiritual way of life to those fully committed.  Because we are an inherently broken people (thanks to the apple Eve shared with Adam in the garden), as we begin to grow, or continue to grow a new life in Christ we are subject to a need for constant "maintenance" of our spiritual condition are we not? 

In order for any of us to succeed in reaching the end of our life's journey to live eternally at the right hand of God in heaven, our minds and hearts will need maintenance checks all along the way on that journey...just as our cars, homes, yards and lawnmowers do during the full time of their lives with us.  To neglect or understand the need for routine maintenance of our hearts and minds condemns us to a great potential for hardened hearts, loss of community with others, easy entrance of sin into our lives, and a mind-set inconsistent with that which God would have us as followers of Christ.

Maintenance of the heart and mind are not only necessary, but vital to our need to eventually reach the Kingdom as we walk this narrow road we call life.  How is your maintenance program working?