Doing Preventative Maintenance

Maintenance is constant in this world where things break, decay, and fall apart. I’m always fixing something on my house, a piece of siding that comes loose, a door that gets hard to open, a faucet that drips. I could ignore them; for a while, but in time neglect would cost me major dollars.  My car demands maintenance, too. Sure, I could drive on tires that are under- inflated for a while before they would fail. I can overlook oil changes and the engine won’t stop immediately. Saving $40 on an oil change can turn into a $3000 engine replacement! Preventative maintenance is a wise investment – a few dollars now saves thousands later!

The principle holds in our Christianity. Regular engagement with the spiritual disciplines opens us to the Presence of the Spirit. Making the choices for worship, prayer, study, service, and giving are an investment. Yes, they are a kind of preventative maintenance that keeps our relationship with God intact and healthy.

Do you have to go to worship regularly to be a Christian? No, you don’t. You won’t be as effective as a solo act, but you can have saving faith, apart from being in your local church. I’m sure you did not expect that from a veteran Pastor.  You can make Sunday into a play day: golfing, fishing, and visiting with family. Short term you won't see much impact on your life. You might even feel some relief about getting rid of the need to be up and out of the house on Sunday morning.  However, a subtle erosion of spiritual health will start immediately when you neglect the fellowship of the Church.  With time, the edge will go out of your faith. Without teaching that helps you to apply the unchanging Word to an ever-changing world your spiritual understanding will stagnate. If you are a parent, know this: your kids will conclude that church is just one of life’s options, and as young adults, they will discard church attendance all together, along with saving faith.

Neglecting to read the Scripture on a daily basis won't cause you to immediately descend into gross immorality. 
Failure to engage in generous giving won't make you into Ebenezer Scrooge in a year's time. 
Failure to pray won't turn you into an atheist overnight! 

But... over the long term a failure to practice these things will bring on spiritual collapse. Your ears will not discern the 'still, small voice of God.'
Your spiritual eyes will not perceive His hand at work. Your short prayers will turn into childish whimpers and whines... 'bless me, give me, help me.'

Eugene Peterson says that the Christian life is “a long obedience in the same direction!’

Here is wisdom from the Word.  "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber." (Proverbs 6:6-11, NLT) 

"Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got! Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates." (Deuteronomy 6:5-9, The Message)

Make an investment in doing the small things.
Amazingly- the big stuff will take care of itself!

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