I got to thinking about minding your own business or the concept of "stick to what you know" this afternoon while I was on the phone with a friend. I'm studying for my boards (still, they are coming up June 1) and she asked me what all I had learned lately by studying. She said, "Well, you already know a lot, can't be much more to learn." I replied back, "Not really. I know a lot about my world, but I know absolutely nothing about others and there is always PLENTY to learn in just one specialty!" This came into play with my car this week.
My car, beloved Fiona Ford, broke. It was great! You know, looking back, she had been acting funny for a while. I had noted about 5 or 6 weeks ago that the air conditioning no longer cooled things (as if I could forget it when it's over 80 degrees in Greenville). Pish posh. Money's tight, so I'm not getting it checked out. Oh, it's a cool morning? Bet I need my defroster for my windshield that's fogged up. Oops, won't get warm air either....interesting. Guess I'll just have to see out of this little crevice I can see through if I crane my neck and tilt my head. And surely that fan-type running noise even when the fan is off on the AC/heat doesn't mean anything. I can just ignore it. Until on the way to work this week, it just overheats. Three times within a mile. Now, I'm afraid. Little Fiona could blow up... I don't wanna blow up.... so we have to go to the specialist. Here's where there are things I just don't know about. I know a few basic words: brakes, tires, radiators, distributor caps, engine block, pistons, spark plugs....but exactly what these things do (with the exception of tires and brakes), I'm not 100% clear. No one on this earth could be, but I do happen to know a guy down the road who probably knows 90% . He's my mechanic. And he fixed Fiona Ford by finding out what I was convinced was my car getting ready to blow up was just a leaky hose that was draining the fluid from my radiator.
Man, how we can see things so unclearly sometimes. I neglected Fiona's issues. When she started to have a problem, I should have taken her on for some diagnostics and made sure she was in good working order. But instead, I just sat there feeling the hot air in the very hot weather, listening to her sound odd, thinking it was gonna be bad and I didn't want to know and I could live without knowing. Now I know people do this with their health. I work for a breast cancer surgeon. I see it everyday. "Well, I felt this lump somewhere around Christmas, but my family was around and I didn't want to tell anyone or be a burden so I just let it go. Yeah, I mean, it got bigger but by then, I was afraid to find out, I'm just scared." Then they come to the specialist (i.e. my office) for "diagnostics" and a plan to get better.
I'm a specialist in breast cancer surgery. Garry is a specialists in cars/mechanics. My husband is a specialist in computer programming and engineering. My sister/mom are specialists in education. My dad is excellent with traumas and my step-mom is an expert in loans and finance. Now, can any of us know absolutely everything about everything??? NO!! We surely can not! Our minds would just explode. We're better off to mind our own business and stick to what we know and lean on the other specialists when we need them. Together, we can make a working body that comes close to doing everything and knowing everything, but no matter how much we know, we still can't know it all.
But I do know this one guy who is a specialist in everything. I could refer you to him. His name is Jesus, aka God. He ultimately knows everything we need at any time. He just waits for us to come looking for him. He's not just a spiritual specialist, but also a life specialist. He can direct you exactly where you need to go and in exactly the timing he has planned out for you. But, just like I hope you don't neglect your physical health and Garry hopes I don't neglect the health of my vehicle, God doesn't want us neglecting our Spiritual Health. Spiritual Health is defined by our relationship with God. It's just like that Casting Crowns song, "Slow Fade". Where it says, "People never crumble in a day, it's a slow fade"... 'cause it is.
One day you think you are going along fine, then you think, "well, I'm too busy today, I can't read my Bible before work, I'll get to it before bed." Then you don't, then you don't do even once a week. Then you start forgetting to pray. You start caring more about yourself than those around you. "I can't stop to help this old lady put her groceries in her car in that parking lot, I have to get home and start dinner. I'm too busy." Then you start to not even care if you go to church or not. Then it's, "Well, maybe I'll go play poker with the guys (or go out with the girls for a girls night) Saturday night. Yeah, we'll be out real late. We may not even get in til 2 in the morning. But it's okay, I can just sleep in on Sunday." You do this until one day you just hit the biggest brick wall. Things are crumbling all around you. Sometimes its things others can't even see, emotional things even. To the point that you just cry out for help. And you know what, God is there. He is a sucker for us. He can't shake us or refer us out to another specialist. He is then Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end (see Revelations 21). He will be there every time we turn to him. But wouldn't it just be easier if we did the maintenance? If when things got tough we dove deeper into our word and prayed more? If we would reach out to each other more when we can tell our friends are suffering? If we would pray for each other more, encourage each other more? God would still be there. He'd be making us more like him every day. And even though we'd still face trials, our well maintained spiritual health could help us cross through with ease. In the real world, specialists cost money. sometimes lots of it. But the Spiritual Specialist, Jesus Christ, is free. It won't cost you a dime.
If you haven't met Jesus, then I recommend you establish care with him. He is the Great Physician. You won't find one better. He can get you on the right track. Once you have established care though, don't neglect your maintenance exams. Stay plugged into the church where you can get healthy arms and legs to help hold you up in tough times. . Keep your prayer life strong so you can get some healthy air to breathe. Prayer is how you will always have a safe place to vent your feelings and frustrations and you won't hurt anyone else with your words or actions. Stay deep in the word, reading daily and looking for answers that you need and a word to stand on for each day. This will be the spiritual fuel that keeps you going. Drink in his love and blessings so you can sing his praises all the day long.**
Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
**see also:
Psalm 56, Matthew 26, Mark 4, Luke 6 & 8, John 8, Romans 8 & 10, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 8
(You know, I try to make these things shorter, but I always end up longwinded. Sorry guys.)
1 comment:
great post. thanks for sharing!
Post a Comment