That indispensible owner's manual

Many years ago Sam bought his first automobile. It was a Buick. His friend Jim bought the same model at the same time. Sam had never owned a car before but was certain he knew what it was all about. He immediately took it out on the highway and “opened it up” to see what it would do. He did this regularly to impress his friends. He had never heard the word “maintenance” used before and therefore never serviced his car. Soon oil began to puddle wherever he parked and strange knocking sounds could be heard from his engine. He began to complain to Jim about the “lemon” he purchased and was amazed to hear Jim speak glowingly of his Buick. Finally, Jim asked Sam if he had read the owner’s manual, especially the chart on regular maintenance. Sam confessed that he had locked the manual in the glove compartment when he bought his car and stubbornly refused to admit that it could teach him anything he needed to know about cars.

These two men remind me of others I meet regularly. The “Sams” are always trying to get the most out of life but are without a clue about what to do when life breaks down. They stubbornly refuse to consult the owner’s manual (the Bible) as if they have nothing to learn from the designer. The “Jims” are humble and wise enough to realize they have been given something that requires great care and proper maintenance in order to work correctly. They continually consult the owner’s manual and find, to their delight, that there is a direct relationship between proper care and a product that works.

I don’t know how many different ways I can say this, but careful study and application of the Word of God Is not an option in the Christian life; it is the Christian life. Lives break down among church attenders as well as among non-attenders. The only difference is what is picked up and applied while there. We stress Home Bible studies as a way of life among Christians who were designed to be in fellowship while learning the essential building blocks of their faith. Join us this
week, won’t you?


 

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