Need an Alignment?

"It’ll get better” “I don’t need to seek out help” are things I have been saying the past few days with this terrible neck pain I am battling. In Matthew 5:39 it says, “Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also.” Right now, I fear I would not be able to obey that command as I can not turn it in the other direction. Just as our physical bodies need to be taken care of and checked on with dr.’s and chiropractors from time to time so that we can stay in ALIGNMENT and work to our full capacities; our hearts and minds need to be daily seeking out help for SPIRITUAL ALIGNMENT from God’s word. If we go through our lives thinking, “It’ll get better” without actually asking for help to make it better the problems typically seem to get worse. So it is in our spiritual lives. I sinned/messed up today but it wasn’t that big of a deal, it’ll be fine and will work out it’s kinks in time. One wrong that goes by without being taken care of by our Heavenly Physician can end us in a pile up of unfortunate pain that takes a long time to recover from. We ought to be going for a daily physical to God’s office as He is always there 24/7 (holidays as well), and ask Him to align us for that specific day!! John 14:13 says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." When we faithfully stay in line with God and His word it becomes easier and easier and more of a desire and full ableness to obey Him each time! I imagine if I were to go to a chiropractor and have him fix my neck I would be able to function better physically, avoid this problem erupting into a bigger one and be able to then obey the “turning my other cheek” verse! I’m just praying that if I do make an appt. tomorrow and am then able to turn my neck completely that it doesn’t set me up for being slapped in the face!!

Low on ink?

Having full access to our printer/copy machine at home often causes me to take for granted the luxury I have at the very touch of a button. I expect it to copy when I push the copy button and print when I hit print. That is its’ job, but today when I began to make a copy I was given a notification saying, “ink cartridge is low, please refill”. I ignored it and just kept pushing the button crossing my fingers it would display the words dark enough to get by with. After a few times of doing this and papers shooting out less and less more readable I decided to just quit what I was doing and go on to something else instead of reaching over in the cabinet, picking up the new cartridge and replacing it. In my mind, it wasn’t “bad enough” yet to reach out for help. Surely I can STILL get a few more papers the next time I use it. How often is it that we are encountered with situations where we need to be producing better communication or presentation of God’s word with someone and we find that our ink cartridge is running on low? We may even look over on the shelf and notice the BIBLE sitting right there, easily accessible and we ignore the pricking to pick it up and use it to refill our souls and help us be a better friend, spouse, parent, testimony, and communicator. I often try to get by with just saying enough to where someone can still hear and or see what I am trying to relay, but there is not enough “ink” to back it up and make a real impact and difference in the quality of what is being shared. Why is it that we wait until we have wasted too much time trying our own way and come up with barely readable printouts to open the Bible or that ink cartridge and use what is right in front of us to help solve the problem? In Psalm 46:1 it says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”. We have the great benefit of having God right at our fingertips for the extra strength and refill we often need, but what good is it if we do not reach out and take hold of it and do something with it? By leaving the Bible where it is at, or the ink unopened still sitting on the shelf we deny ourselves of the blessing that would come from utilizing what we have been given! We find ourselves settling for less than best, and end up with more problems down the road. Imagine if you waited to fill up your gas tank in your car EVERY time until it completely ran out of gas and had you stalled on the side of the road? We would not be able to use the excuse of, “well, there just wasn’t any gas available to refill with”. On almost every corner we pass gas stations with tons of gas just sitting there waiting to be put to use, but once again, does us no good if we aren’t pulling in and filling up! I pray that I do not neglect to change out my cartridge and keep my tank filled throughout life’s journey, so that in turn the end result is clearly able to be comprehended and the vehicle can continue to function properly! The next time you feel God pushing your print button or stepping his foot on the acceleration pedal of your life, be sure your printer is stocked with ink and car is on FULL so you can better glorify God with the pages produced and not be stranded on the highway instead of being at the destination He was sending you to. No more “just getting by”, rather, let’s “Reach way up high”. Don’t let yourself believe that “it isn’t bad enough yet”, because if you do then you may never experience the blessing that “this is the BEST yet” can offer you!