Sunday, January 20, 2019

The Importance of Maintenance

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies (a a record or account of descent traced continuously from an ancestor), and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.”

Titus 3:8–9

Henry Ford introduced the Model T car in 1908, but sales didn’t really take off until a few years later with the development of the automated assembly line. By the 1920s, Ford was selling more than a million Model Ts each year. In the early days of automobiles, it was often difficult to find someone competent to repair any problem with the car, so Ford started issuing an owner’s manual with each vehicle. This laid out simple steps that could be taken to perform basic maintenance and extend the life of the car.

God has given us an instruction manual in His Word, with things we must do and things we must avoid in order to live as He wills. There are no optional items in God’s book—these are not the Maker’s recommendations, but His instructions. And they must be followed, not just now and then, but on an ongoing basis. Many people fall because after they have done right for a while, they let down their guard and try to take it easy.

Spiritual victory demands continued and careful maintenance of the things God has commanded. It does not come naturally for us. But it must be done, over and over again. Ellen Sturgis Hooper wrote, “I slept, and dreamed that life was beauty: I woke, and found that life was duty.” Just as with a car, it is possible to skip the maintenance that is needed in our spiritual life, but it will have negative results. Instead, we need to continue our spiritual disciplines and do right day after day, being “careful to maintain good works.”

Today’s Growth Principle: 

It is not enough to do right occasionally. It is something we must maintain day after day.