Are You Working Properly?

For the past few weeks, I've been pretty sick.  It started with a sinus infection, then went to bronchitis, and the doctor thinks maybe pneumonia, though by the time I had a chest x-ray, it didn't show it.  It's been a long ordeal, and I've felt horrible.  But, I think I could have gotten better sooner if I had realized that my breathing machine wasn't working properly earlier.  I didn't figure that out until Saturday!  I cleaned it in vinegar and it worked - twice - really well!  It was so great to get oxygen throughout my body.  A little weird feeling, too, actually!

So all of those many, many treatments I had done didn't help at all!  But then it stopped working again.  I cleaned it again. Nothing helped. :(

I was a little aggravated at myself for not noticing the problem with the machine before, but the motor was running, vapors were coming out....it appeared to be working great.  But it wasn't.  I knew they weren't helping much, but didn't realize what was really causing the problem.  With the holiday Monday, I wasn't able to get a new "kit" for the breathing machine until Tuesday.  That first treatment, when it was working so great, was

This problem made me think about our spiritual lives.  Often we go through the motions, checking off an invisible list. For example:

Attended worship: CHECK!
Gave some money: CHECK!
Sang the songs: CHECK!
Bowed my head in prayer: CHECK!
Took the Lord's Supper: CHECK!
Listened to the sermon: CHECK!
I'm done - YAY!!  CHECK!  Clear for a week (or until Sun. night or Wed. night)

Do I look like a Christian or religious person.  Yes.  Am I a really following Jesus?  Maybe. Maybe not.  From time to time I need to do some soul-searching, some heart-checking.  I need to really examine my life to make sure it's not just looking like like everything is okay when it really isn't.

Here are some questions to ask myself:

Do I spend time each day in God's Word?

Do I pray and stay connected with God?  He said to pray continually, so am I constantly in a prayerful state of mind....thankful and content with my thoughts?

Am I putting others first, or myself?

Am I a true servant?

Am I striving to be more like Him each and every day?

Am I concerned about sin in my life, or do I act as if there is none?

Do I repent of sin, knowing the blood of Jesus covers it and God forgives, or do I pretend it's not there?

Am I seeking to save the lost as Jesus said to do?

Am a a true disciple or am I just a pew sitter?

Am I doing all that I can do to further the Kingdom of God?

Am I truly committed to Him?

Do I consider it a chore to worship or am I excited?

You may think of other questions to ask yourself.  But, let's all make sure we're not just running motors and blowing vapors, bur actually producing "fruit" as our Heavenly Father and Savior asked us to do.  Otherwise, we're just not working properly....just like that breathing machine.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory,that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:1-8