Service
Deuteronomy 28:14 KJV And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
It’s a wonderful feeling to drive off the lot in a brand new vehicle with the fresh smells, everything working and untouched paint job and interior. There is often a sense of pride along with a temptation to notice your reflection in store windows as you pass by. Of course the true passion for this machine has much to do with whether or not it was the actual model, color and specs that you really wanted and not just something you had to get by with.
Now most if not all new vehicles come with an owner’s manual that includes something called a maintenance schedule. This schedule is basically a long list of things that should be checked and maintained at various intervals of time or miles. It clearly specifies that for the vehicle to perform at the level for which it was designed certain fluids must be changed and certain adjustments made at specific times. I recently took my Jeep into a local garage for an oil change where I got into a discussion with the owner about how important the maintenance schedule really is. He informed me that from his experience those vehicles that were maintained by their owners according to the schedule lasted much longer with much fewer complications. While his statements made an impression, they were also validated by a recent story about a lady that is over 90 years old herself and still driving a car she purchased in 1964. With over 557,000 miles her ‘chariot’ is still running well and she attributes it to detailed adherence to the maintenance schedule along with lifetime warranty replacement parts. She says that through the years her car and the way she has maintained it has been the key to her personal freedom as she has been able to remain independent, mobile and productive on her own. While there surely must have been an initial pride when she drove off the lot, this passion seems to only have grown through the years, this reflected in the care that has never been compromised.
We’ve been given the keys to a brand new life in Christ and in Him there is an immediate appreciation for the fresh new smells and perspectives. This life doesn’t have to get old or worn out in the least, though, if there will just be careful attention given to the maintenance schedule in the glove box. Words of direction and guidance have been spoken by our Designer and Creator that are guaranteed to keep us out of the shop if those words will just be embraced as part of a passion that disallows any compromise of care.