Time For A Check Up

Time for a Check Up?

Two friends of mine decided to travel to a city about 3 hours away to pick up some sport equipment they were purchasing. They decided to use one of their vehicles and set off, music playing, fan buzzing, excited for the journey.

About an hour away from their destination the engine started making a loud, knocking noise, which is never a good thing! The passenger turned to the driver and asked, “Do you hear that knocking noise? What is it?” The driver listened for a couple of seconds then leaned forward and turned up the radio. “No, I can’t hear it anymore; it must have fixed itself.” A few moments later the engine made a loud bang, cut out, and would not start again. In fact it never started again!

I laugh at this story, but there is a serious note to it as well. At times in our churches, places of work, families, and even within ourselves, there are ‘knocking noises’ indicating that something is not working as it should or something serious has gone wrong. Our greatest error is ignoring those ‘sounds’ hoping that they will fix themselves or just go away. The reality is that they don’t. In fact most often they get worse until there is a major breakdown or conflict that we cannot bounce back from.

So, the big question is, what do we do when we start hearing these ‘knocking noises’? Pay attention to them! They are telling you that something is going wrong.

A good way to diagnosing the issues causing the ‘noise’ is to ask these questions:

Are we talking more about the ‘issues’ than about Jesus? Issues have a tendency to draw attention to us and to our opinions of the problem. When Jesus is the focus and He is central in the discussion, it is difficult to argue about the things we value as important.

Are we talking more to each other than to Jesus? When issues arise we tend to want to talk about them. Sadly though, this is more about how we feel or what we think. When we pray about these issues, we surrender our feelings and opinions to God and submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and His desires. It is our opinions and feelings that divide but God’s Wisdom that heals and unites.

Do I have the right attitude? Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3-5, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” We may not be able to change others or their opinions, but we can change ourselves. So, what needs to change? What can I change?

Is it time for a progress check? Is it time to take pause and to evaluate what we are doing or where we are going? What is going on that’s causing the ‘knocking noises’? What needs to change to fix the noise not just ‘drown it out’?

How do we prevent these ‘noises’ from reoccurring? I personally think, as the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. So, instead of ignoring those irritating ‘knocking noises’ or evading those awkward concerns that you don’t like dealing with, try scheduling a maintenance plan to prevent those ‘knocking noises’ from starting up in the first place. Take time to meet with people you work with, your church congregation or leadership, or even your family to have open and honest discussions about how things are going. Is there anything someone is dissatisfied with or something causing concern or even a better way to do what we do?

Isn’t this what we do for our vehicles? We take the time to do maintenance checks to prevent a major breakdown or serious damage to our vehicle. A well-maintained vehicle is generally a smooth-running vehicle.

Imagine never taking the time or paying the cost to get an oil change done or performing regular maintenance on your car. Before long it is going to making those dreaded ‘knocking noises’!

If it makes sense for our vehicles, it would make sense of our relationships, our church leadership teams, and even with ourselves.

A ‘Check Up’ or ‘Maintenance Check’ can be as simple as a weekly check in with everyone to see how things are going. We have done weekly family meetings for years where we were are able to address anything that needed attention. Churches I have been with have done this in board meetings. Regular dates for a married couple can give time and opportunity for this.

Are there ‘knocking noises’ in your church or church leadership team? Do you hear them in your marriage? Are there signs that there is something wrong within you; are you tired, unhappy, short tempered? Do not ignore these signs, dear friend. Find help now. Speak to those around you. Call a meeting where you can voice your concerns or listen to the concerns of others. Be direct and don’t skirt the issues, and encourage others to do the same. Have the attitude of Jesus. These ‘knocking noises’ aren’t going to just go away or cease. They will get worse and could eventually end in catastrophe. The sooner they are dealt with, the quicker and easier they can be dealt with.