Hello ICC Family!
The check engine light has been on in my truck for several months now. I don’t like it. I am a little obsessive compulsive. If there is a notification on my cell phone - I have to clear it before I can do anything else. But for some reason I have been living with this notification in my truck. It’s old. It still seems to be driving ok. I haven’t noticed any weird noises. So… I have ignored it. Because it might be nothing. Or at least that is what I have been telling myself. But a couple of weeks ago I found a drop of motor oil on the floor in the garage. It was just one drop, so it was easy to overlook. Except two weeks later now and it’s 4 drops. I know I need to take it in to get it looked at. But I’m dreading it... My mind subconsciously continues to come up with ways to put off biting the bullet and taking it in…
Maybe it will just fix itself naturally? (I realize how stupid that is, but my computer freezes and has to reboot once a month. Why can’t a vehicle do that?)
Maybe it just doesn’t matter because this is what old vehicles do…
Maybe one of my neighbors (that I barely know) will be able to look at it and help me fix it easily.
The mechanic is too busy and too far away and had it for too long last time I needed work done. It’s not worth the trouble…
All of these excuses combine in my head so that they feel legitimate. But the real reason I have been dragging my feet is that I just don’t want to know what is wrong with it. I know that there will be a cost in order for it to be running well again, and it might be expensive. Then I will either have to pay it or ignore the estimate and choose to live with the problem, knowing that it could blow up in my face at any point. By the way… I also know that this is pretty much the most immature way to handle a problem - choosing to ignore it so that I can pretend it doesn’t exist.
I have been choosing to live in the dark anyway.
We do this same thing with sin in our lives. We do anything we can to NOT think about it, to forget about it, or at the least - ignore it. The check engine light of our conscience is glowing at us, but we convince ourselves that it doesn’t mean anything or that it is nothing important. And then after time we don’t even notice that the light is on anymore.
But deep down inside we know that there is something wrong. We know that there is something we need to change. That’s why we refuse to slow down long enough for there to be a moment that the Holy Spirit can break through and speak to us. Because when we give him even a moment… He is going to remind us about how much He loves us. He is going to remind us that we are created to be in the light with our Heavenly Father. And He is going to convict us of sin and remind us that we should be walking with Jesus. He will remind us of all those things and then we will be confronted with the cost of our sin. A price that Jesus paid on the cross for us. We just have to decide whether forgiveness of sin and a life of obedience with Jesus is worth anything to us or not. Just like with my truck - sometimes it seems easier to live in the darkness and not have to make the decision…
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:5-9
I pray this week that each of us would take the time to slow down. Spend some time with Jesus. Pray about what is on your heart and let the Spirit speak to you – convicting you of sin and revealing how to walk in the light of his glory. I look forward to seeing you this evening for our Wednesday fellowship and prayer time and Friday evening for our Refresh service as well. If you are struggling finding any time to spend with the Lord, please come on Friday evening. It will be worth it!
Blessings to you all. And know that I’m praying for you!
Pastor Aaron
Comentarios