Lessons from Odd Places: Blue Chair

Written by Mike Woodard

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In our living room we have a blue recliner. We have had it for several years, and it is a favorite place of contemplation, power naps and relaxation for me. One day I sat down in my blue chair and something was not right. The seat was not in its usual comfortable resting place. Something had slipped. Upon investigation (turning the chair upside down), I discovered a bolt that had held the seat in place had gradually come unscrewed with each use of my chair. Fortunately no permanent damage was done! In minutes it was back in action. If only life was that simple.

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I began to think, are there areas of my life that are gradually slipping? The slow unscrewing of the bolts, if not addressed will result in a loss of function. No one wakes up and says, “I think I will get fat… go into depressing debt… have a bad relationship with family members… grow distant from God or have an affair”. Yet it happens, and unlike the chair in our living room, most times it is not a simple fix.

Just as regular maintenance will keep mechanical things working, so attention to making appropriate adjustments in life can keep us focused and operational. What does a regular maintenance of life look like?

Psalm 1 (NIV) has some hints…

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

God’s wisdom can change every area of life! Wisdom is knowledge rightly applied. God gives us wisdom and knowledge but we need to take action. Our part is to identify the area or areas and set a goal and plan.

You might need someone to help you and keep you accountable. Ask God for his resources each day to stop the slippage!

Questions: How do we keep regular maintenance in our spiritual life? Is there something in your life right now that needs adjusting?

About the Author Mike Woodard

Tags: affair, depressing, depressing debt, function, God, lessons, loss of function, maintenance, mike woodard, power naps, wisdom

4 Responses to “Lessons from Odd Places: Blue Chair”

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ogbe says:

April 13, 2010 at 6:02 am

God bless you, so true in my prayer life i need a fix so as to pray the way i should.Thank God for His grace.
Deebee says:

April 12, 2010 at 3:24 pm

So very true Hailey! I used to wonder how people in fulltime ministry could walk away because of moral failures but then a pastor reminded me that it doesn’t happen overnight, but one decision at a time…one screw at a time. All of us are only one bad choice away from heading down that path at any given time.
Hailey says:

April 12, 2010 at 3:15 pm

There is a song by Casting Crowns called “Slow Fade” that speaks right along with this devotional. It is so true, “people don’t crumble in a day”, the song says. I have seen people in my life slowly slip or fade into a place of darkness. They don’t realize it until they have made a huge mistake. I know I can slip just as easily if I do not keep my priorities straight and spend regular time with God. To maintain my spiritual life I have to journal on a regular basis. Journaling allows me to take the time and really meditate on scripture and write down prayers and it also acts as an accountability partner in a way. If I go into my journal and see the last time I wrote was a week ago, I know that last week was the last time I had quality time with the Lord! Journaling really keeps my spiritual life fruitful. It took me a few years to figure that out, and I am so glad I did. We are all different and therefore have different ways of studying and keeping our relationship with God priority, but we all need to be in the Word and journaling is one way that gets me there… “I have hidden your Word in my heart so that I may not will sin against you” Ps. 119:11, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”Ps. 119:105.
Deebee says:

April 12, 2010 at 10:46 am

Wow!! What a great reminder for me on this Monday morning. It’s so easy to slip in various areas of our lives and we do need to go regular maintenance. Thank you Mike!