GAUGES

Pastor Todd Christopherson
Mid American Stock Car Series
March 8, 2012

It is almost the start of the season. We have Daytona under way and soon the local Midwest tracks will be lighting up. In racing one of the important parts is gauges. There are gauges used by those working on the engine, those working on the oil pressure, water temperature, the electric and so on. Then there are those working on the tires. There are numbers being written down and checked against other numbers and numbers from the past. There are gauges in the car that that driver needs to pay attention to. If the gauges are ignored and numbers too high or too low there can be speed lift out of the car or even a crash about to happen. It is not the gauge that wrecks the car. The gauges only indicate that there is a problem or potential problem soon.

In the Christian life we have gauges too. We can see how we are doing. Think with me. We have the Scriptures. We have the Holy Spirit. We have other people. We have others like prayer, Scripture reading and studying and we have our giving to measure us.

Let’s look at each of these briefly. When we hold our life up to the Scripture how does it look. Scripture gives us a chapter on love (1 Corinthians 13). How am I doing? Tough question because I fall short and need to repent and turn God’s way. Are my words and actions kind, building up or tearing down (Ephesians 4:29). We are to examine our life and have God examine it. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we read 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We have the Holy Spirit who guides and directs us. Nehemiah 9:20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. And Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. He Spirit will alert us to sin if we are listening. It also encourages us as we follow Christ.

God has given us others, spouses, children, friends, pastors, etc. to help us and show us areas of needed growth. It is an area we have to be careful in because we do not want to just go with the crowd or just do things because others are doing them but God does have us fellowship for the reason of growth and fruitfulness.

Our prayer life can reveal our walk with God. If we have to pray, if we go to Him for great and small, if we lift up others, if we pray for our enemies, we can see if we are being faithful and trusting. Our Scripture reading can show our love for God. Do we long to get into God’s Word and read and study? Do we have tell others what we just learned? Do we desire to know Him and His Word? Our giving can gauge where we are at with the LORD. Do we give cheerfully or do we have to wrench open the wallet or checkbook to give to God’s work (always start with the poor, local church then other ministries)? It is said if you ask a man to open their checkbook (credit card statement) and daily planner you can see where their priorities are. What would they say about you?

I hope you would stop right now and take a look at the gauges, God’s gauges and see how you are doing. I know I am right now and I have some things I need to work on and some things I need some help on (both God’s and others).

Dear Lord I pray from Your word Psalm 139:23-24 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. And Psalm 5:1-3 1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Thanks and hope to see you at a track soon and have a great day racin’ in the SONshine,

Todd

Feel free to contact me at:
torch_for_jesus@yahoo.com, 608-630-7301 or 512 Chippewa Court, DeForest, WI 53532