Oil, Lube & Filter

 

Someone who wants to experience the power of God, but has no willingness to deal with the occasionally messy details of church life – that’s like a person who loves the thrill of driving but has no desire to get the routine auto maintenance done. You know… the oil changes, tire rotation, checking the fluids, changing the belts, etc. A car won’t run long without these things.

 

Or, it’s like the romantic person who loves the thrill of being in love – giving flowers on Valentine’s Day and the heart-warming feelings of kissing the beloved – but can’t handle the day-to-day tasks of maintaining a relationship. You know… doing the household chores together, listening to the partner when they’re upset, balancing the family checkbook, driving the kids around, etc. Any happily-married couple will tell you that no marriage can survive without good day-to-day relationship skills.

 

Certainly there are very moving experiences that can happen if a person knows God. There are plenty of examples…

• Just last week I was with a jail inmate in Alma who prayed to accept Christ as his savior for the first time. He was tearful, and was very moved.
• My Great-grandfather discerned his call into the ministry when he saw John the Baptist in a vision standing before him, beckoning him to come. His years of ministry were part of what inspired me to be a pastor.
• Moses had his “burning bush” experience, where he encountered the power and presence of God (Exodus 3:1-6). He heard the Lord speak to him. The end of Hebrew slavery in Egypt might have never happened if not for that encounter.

 

These experiences were all important, but they were all beginnings – not ends. In each case they were starting points. Moses’ experience, in the long run, was a prelude to a very long and nomadic stage in the history of the Israelites. They lived in 42 different places over a 40-year span (Numbers 33:1-49). His rugged faith made him stay in it for the long haul. Just as a wedding is insignificant if it doesn’t serve as a prelude to an enduring marriage – so it is with our spiritual experiences of God.

 

Some people don’t last as Christians because they fail to see the larger picture. They fail to stick around for the long haul. Sometimes their feelings get hurt and they split. Jesus described these folks as being like seed that lands in shallow ground, blooms quickly, but then withers because it has no root (Mark 4:5-6).

 

Christians who endure, by contrast, are the ones who maintain a spirit of steadfastness. These people know that God is with them in both the highs and the lows of church life. They may appreciate the greatness of mountain-top moments of faith, but they also are very giving of their time, energies, and money – even during times when they don’t feel very inspired. Sometimes they will tend to church building needs. Sometimes they’re the ones who help balance the church budget. Sometimes they train acolytes for lighting the altar candles. Sometimes they teach children’s Sunday School. Sometimes they help prepare the cups and bread for communion service. Sometimes they participate in consensus-building discussions in church committees. Sometimes they cook food for church suppers. These people will and do a host of things that are important for the church to be able to do what God calls us to.

 

One pastor I met last summer said this: “I don’t like flashy Christians; I like steady Christians.” I agree completely.

God bless you,

 

Andrew McHenry, Pastor