Small misalignments can produce big problems.
On a recent return trip, I noticed that our vehicle was pulling slightly to the left, and there was a stronger vibration when braking. It was an easy diagnosis; the wheels were out of alignment. It was also an easy, and inexpensive, fix.
It would have been easy to ignore the symptoms. They were minor and did not significantly impair my ability to drive. Making time in a busy schedule to address a seemingly inconspicuous problem was an easy excuse to avoid dealing with the problem, as was an added auto repair cost to our family budget. After all, it was only a little misalignment.
Of course, ignoring minor symptoms of a problem does not make the problem go away, it only allows time for it to worsen. Several years ago, we faced a similar problem, however, we were in the midst of major family health crises. There was no time or extra money to address the issue. By the time I went for the repairs, things were much worse, took longer to repair and cost hundreds of dollars more. A little misalignment can lead to a major breakdown.
What is true for physical things is also true for spiritual things. A little misalignment in our spiritual life may not seem like a big concern. Such issues are easily ignored or dismissed, as we downplay their impact and significance. After all, it is just a little human reasoning instead of spiritual discernment, personal satisfaction rather than holy obedience, or a slightly different spin on a divine directive. What could go wrong?
Small deviations can lead to significant issues if they are not corrected. This is not a recasting of the “slippery slope” argument, rather, it is the reasonable outcome of avoiding important course corrections. Anyone who ever spent time navigating will tell you that one or two degrees of deviation can lead to an entirely different destination over time. The sooner things are corrected, the easier, and less costly, the correction.
This is why self examination should be a regular part of our spiritual journey. Just as the mechanics compared the alignment of my vehicle to a necessary standard, we are to compare the alignment of our lives to the standard of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. It will not help to align ourselves with our image of Christ, for our imagined Jesus may not not actually be the Christ. Therefore, we seek the Scriptures for the revelation of God and align ourselves with that truth. This will not always be easy, but the sooner we align ourselves with the truth, the sooner we will find the peace and direction God offers, and less damage to ourselves and others will be inflicted.
Let me invite you to join me in pausing regularly to realign ourselves with Christ, so that we can navigate our spiritual and physical lives more smoothly, and reach our God-given destination.
