“Going to have to drop another 750 bucks on my truck. Rotors, breaks, fluid, oil, and tires. Wasn’t happy. Just dropped money for new radiator a few months ago.” My youngest son sent this text Saturday afternoon. Still a novice at maintaining an older vehicle with 170,000 miles, he wondered if he should buy a new truck. I reassured him this was just regular maintenance, which occurs in higher mileage vehicles, and he could travel many more miles with his truck. Later I thought about some potential medical procedures I’m facing and reassured myself I was like his truck—high mileage just needing some maintenance and hopefully with a lot of miles remaining.
My thought process went one-step further and I started seeing how this applies spiritually. As we age, we begin realizing we need regular checkups so doctors can diagnose and treat unseen problems. We also need occasional spiritual checkups. When everything is going well whether with our cars, physical health, or spiritual heath, growing complacent becomes easy. “I’m healthy. I don’t have any problems.” or “I’m a good Christian. I go to church, give, and serve.” We can appear healthy on the outside, but inside a person’s heart may have clogged arteries or the colon can have cancerous polyps. Left undiagnosed, one day we can have an unexpected heart attack or blood begins appearing from our intestines. Sometimes it may be too late for help.
Our spiritual life is no different. A believer can appear spiritually pure going through all the motions of a mature Christian. However, inside they harbor hidden sins but ignore or even deny to themselves that they have an issue. A spiritual checkup is out of the question rationalizing that all Christians have minor flaws so nothing to worry about. Over the past fifteen years, my doctor has removed over twenty pre-cancerous polyps from my colon. If I had ignored them, I probably wouldn’t be writing this today. Minor flaws can turn into sin that ruins our relationship with God and our fruitfulness as a believer. David prayed, Search me, O God, and know my heart . . . And see if there be any hurtful way in me (Psa 139:23, 24). Paul told the church at Corinth, Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves (2 Corin 13:5).
We can apply numerous verses as a means for testing ourselves. Grade yourself using a scale of 1 to 10 on each fruit of the Spirit or Paul’s list of qualifications for leadership in his epistles to Timothy and Titus. Proverbs 4:20-27 provides a helpful analogy for examining our spiritual walk. Solomon writes as a father to a son instructing him to take the straight path of life. The checkup begins with our heart, Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (v23). This heart is not the pump inside our chest; rather it is the control center of our mind, emotions, will, and conscience. Jesus warned, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders (Matt 15:19). Solomon continues, Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips (v24). An excellent way of checking your heart is listening to yourself talk. The reason: “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart” (Matt 15:18).
Solomon gives three ways by which evil can enter our hearts. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you (v25). The devil tempted Eve through the lust of her eyes. She saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes (Gen 3:6). Jesus taught, The eye is the lamp of your body when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. (Luk 11:34). Your checkup should consider all the things you look at and if it harms your spiritual walk. Two good rules: I will set no worthless thing before my eyes (Psa 101:3) Job said, I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl [at a man for women] (Job 31:1). The second avenue of temptation comes from the places we go. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet (v26). Do you go to places that bring you temptation, that displease the Holy Spirit, or you sense you should not go? The Lord provides a proper path. The steps of a man are established by the Lord (Psa 37:23) yet where we go is a decision we make.
Solomon began his instructions with how we can walk a straight path. My son, give attention to my words (v20). The application for us, God says give attention to My Word. Through the Word, our feet can stay in His path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105). He also gave a promise. For they [Scriptures] are life to those who find them And health to all their body (v22).
Sustaining Word for the Week: Have you had a spiritual checkup recently? Take time this week and test yourselves by reading through Proverbs 4:20-27 and asking, “How am I doing with this”.