Diagnostics

You may have noticed — I haven’t posted in two weeks.

Unfortunately my computer crashed.  I spent the first week trying everything I could think of to troubleshoot and fix the problem.  No luck.

The next Saturday I called Tech Support and spent over two hours talking on the phone with a computer geek.  He couldn’t fix it either, but he thought he knew what was wrong and what parts I needed.

So the next step was having a repair technician come by the office to install them the following week.  That finally worked.  The problem?  My motherboard died.

At least all my memory was saved and all seems to be working fine now, except for a broken plastic piece (still waiting for that part).

This experience reminded me of a book we are reading at my office entitled Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp.  The author states in the introduction:  “This is a diagnostic book.  It is written to help you take an honest look at yourself in the heart- and life-exposing mirror of the Word of God — to see things that are wrong and need correcting and to help you place yourself once again under the healing and transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Although his audience is pastors, this idea has general application.  After all, Jesus said:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  Matthew 7:3-5.

Why is it so easy to get into a routine rut and start functioning poorly on auto-pilot, while thinking that we have life under control?

Or becoming so distracted by looming deadlines, perpetual projects, countless obligations, never-ending household chores, that our relationship with God is choked out by our ‘busyness’?  Jesus talked about that, too.   He said to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.  To love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind.

I often don’t notice I am in trouble, until I just ‘stop working.’  People can crash, just like computers.

And then we need to run diagnostics.  Sometimes the problem is obvious – not spending time reading the Word, or failing to talk with God, or skipping church, or . . . well, you can make your own list.  We shouldn’t do these things out of a misplaced legalism or “earning” our salvation, but simply because those things keep us connected with God and His body of believers.  Routine maintenance is neglected at our peril.

But sometimes we just don’t know what the problem is.  Then we need “tech support.”  Sometimes I am just too close to situation to recognize the issues.  Sometimes I just don’t want to admit that I wronged someone, need to confess it and ask for forgiveness.  Sometimes I harbor bitterness against someone who wronged me.  Jesus talked about that as well:  “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Do you have “safe” people who can be your ‘spiritual tech reps’?

Fortunately God has given me several — close friends and family, who know me well, who are willing to confront me when I need it, who will keep confidences, who give me love and acceptance where I am at, who allow me to make mistakes, who pick me up and encourage me to continue.   And will allow me to do the same for them, when needed.

Maybe you’ve heard the term “accountability partner.”  Now you know some of what that means.