Fix Our Stuff Too!

We may appreciate truth in advertising, but perhaps there is more truth advertised at times than was intended. For example, The following sign was seen on a repair shop door: “WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING!” Below this was added: “(Please Knock Hard On The Door -- The Bell Doesn’t Work!)”

Perhaps the sign should have read, “We can Repair Anything … Except Doorbells”, because the added line seems to have IMPLIED as much. Is it unreasonable to expect a plumber’s pipes and sinks to be in good working order, a mechanic’s car to run smoothly, and a roofer’s house to have no leaks? Yet that is not always the case! I recently received a letter from an individual who stated the doctor who had diagnosed his wife’s cancer ended up dying of cancer five years prior to her death because he did not know he had it when he diagnosed her. Imagine, dealing with the signs of disease in the life of another while missing the signs of it in his own.

Certainly we are not to be self-centered. Paul exhorted…
“(3) Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility COUNT OTHERS MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN YOURSELVES. (4) Let each of you LOOK NOT ONLY TO HIS OWN INTERESTS, BUT ALSO TO THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS.” ( Philippians 2:3-4 ESV)

To consider others more significant than ourselves sometimes calls us to do some self-sacrificing. However, did you note Paul didn’t say don’t look to our own interests, but rather to not make that our “only” focus. We must maintain some sense of balance there because we can become so focused on others that we don’t take care of stuff that needs to be fixed in our own life.

Attempting to help others while completely ignoring what needs to be taken care of in our own life may cause others to reject our assistance since our life may appear to them to not be in working order itself. How can we expect others to take our faith seriously and accept any help we offer if they see our own life with a flow problem, misfiring, or under a leaky shelter? Why should we expect others to accept remedies of the Word from us when we ourselves have not been following the Great Physicians orders? Remember as Jesus dealt with the subject of a fault-finding spirit -- utilizing the illustration of the speck and log in the eye (Mathew 7:3-5) -- He emphasized the clearing of our own vision in order to see clearly to help others. If we are not making the effort ourselves we must recognize what will end up being IMPLIED; i.e. the help doesn’t work. Though we can acknowledge our life is still a work (or transformation) in progress, evidence of the direction and wisdom of God being accepted and allowed to make changes in our life needs to be seen.

Have a great day REVEALING GOD’S TRUTH IS THE BEST FIX!
Carl

See other teEn-MAIL on Christian Behavior