Checking the Owner's Manual

The warning light on the car's instrument panel was one I had never seen before. My ignorance of what it meant at the time did not change the fact that it was "telling me" something was wrong. I had two choices. I could ignore it and hope it went away, or I could investigate and find out what it meant and take the necessary action. There was a good chance the first option could cost me much more than I would bargain for, my safety and wallet included, so that was not very appealing. It was also irresponsible. So considering myself a responsible person, I took the second option. There was only one place to check what the light meant and that was in the car's manual. There I discovered that the light indicated low tire pressure. I took a walk around the car and the tires looked fine. Nevertheless, I figured that while it could have been a malfunction, the car manufacturers knew far more about the vehicle than I did, so at the nearest gas station, I put in the recommended pressure in all four tires. Sure enough, once the car started, the warning light went off.

As I settled into my seat, it occurred to me that this particular experience had a couple of significant spiritual lessons. The Holy Spirit is like the car's instrument panel and because a part of his role is to guide us into all truth (John 16:13a), when something is wrong he warns us that we are straying or have strayed off course. That warning comes in different ways; maybe a check or feeling of restraint in our spirit, a discomfort with a particular decision, a "no" where we were expecting a "yes," to name a few. How do we respond then? We can either ignore what He is saying, or we can refer to the Christian's manual, The Bible, for corrective action. Either way, the choice is ours.

What is interesting about the Holy Spirit's warnings is that they usually "stay on" for quite some time. Just like when I looked at the tires they seemed fine, we may do our own self-check and feel everything is fine. The thing we are pondering seems very advantageous to us; the decision we made seems and feels right. Yet, the warning is still there. It is God's way of alerting us to something we need to attend to.

As you make your way along your Christian journey, have you checked your "instrument panel" lately? Are there any "warning lights" that you have been ignoring? If so, I encourage you to check your "owner's manual." It is far more reliable than your feelings.