MOT

I've been thinking about my car's MOT today and about how important it is for our vehicles to have regular 'check-ups', to make sure that they are safe and reliable and roadworthy.

 

In the same way, it's important for us to give ourselves regular 'MOT's too. 

 

We need time and space to examine our hearts and our minds and to see what state they are really in.

 

So often, we rush through life meeting deadlines and completing projects and we don't give ourselves any time at all to stop and reflect on what's going on in our lives.

 

We need to take time to reflect on what has happened in our lives and what we've learnt and how we've changed and grown.  We need time to consider how our skills and gifts have grown and to question how we've been using and developing them.  We need time to reflect on what God has been showing us and how He has been shaping us.  We need time to look into our hearts and see what's there.  And sometimes, we need time to attend to what we find there.

 

The Bible tells us to

      

        "Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
        that’s where life starts."

 

        [Proverbs 4:23 MSG]

 

Our hearts are the driving forces behind our lives: they reveal our deepest desires and direct our actions.

 

If the heart is where life starts, we need to be aware of what's going on there.  We need to be aware of jealousy or bitterness or resentment.  We need to be aware of disappointments and desires and dreams.

 

We need to make sure that we give ourselves time to reflect on the state of our hearts and to act on what we find.

 

We need a regular, honest, purposeful MOT.

 

 

 

Special Privileges

My car failed and then passed its MOT today.

 

Thankfully, it didn't need much doing in order to ensure it passed round two - I just had to replace two of the tyres.  And luckily for me, Dad was around to help co-ordinate the replacing of the tyres whilst I was at work. 

 

When I picked my car up this afternoon, Dad had already paid on my behalf (for me to pay him back later), and he gave me a 'bill' which comprised of three parts:

 

- MOT (with Local Resident Discount)

- Tyres (with no discount)

- Door Trim (with Daughter Discount)

 

I had forgotten that about a year ago, the door trim on my passenger door had been lost to the elements after a particularly windy drive.  I hadn't really been able to afford to replace it - especially as it wasn't essential to the safe running of my car.

 

However, Dad had remembered and had asked the garage to replace it for me.  And, what's more, he paid for it and 'treated' me to it. 

 

He paid.  I got it for free.

 

I got a 'Daughter Discount'. 

 

In the Bible, God says that we get special privileges as His children, too.

"You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, 'Papa!  Father!'  Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child?  And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance."

 

[Galatians 4:6-7 MSG]

 

Complete access to the inheritance.

 

Complete access to God, our Father.  Complete access to the glorious future He has planned for us.  Complete access to forgiveness and redemption and restoration.  Complete access to grace and mercy and healing.

 

As God's children, we each get special privileges.

 

He paid.  We get them for free.