By Gina Caswell Kelly
There is a building ready to be demolished here in town. It is likely close to 100 years old. The owner does not and has not ever lived here. He allowed the building to fall into terrible shape. The recent rains collapsed the roof and compromised the building so that it has become a danger to anyone around it. It could easily just fall on its own. But demolition is scheduled for today. That building will be no more.
In other news, I went to the dentist last week and he found a hairline crack in one of my teeth. I go to the dentist regularly brush my teeth, and floss at least twice a day. After the crack was found, I made the appointment to get it filled to avoid any further trouble down the road. It was pretty much painless and I was glad I had gone ahead and gotten it fixed.
Now, you may be asking yourself, “What does an old collapsed building and Gina going to the dentist have in common, and more importantly, what does any of this have to do with me?” I am glad you asked. Had that building been taken care of, it would be a useful building today, likely with a business inside. But, the owner let it continue to decay. As you looked in the windows, you could see it getting in worse shape by the day. No one was tending to it and making sure that it stayed strong. With my teeth, I take very good care of them. I want to be sure that I still have my own teeth when I die. I do what it takes to keep them in great shape. And I fix what needs a little extra work before decay sets in.
These two examples are good analogies of our lives. The life that tries to continue without God begins to decay and fall apart. It even has the potential to become a danger to those around it. But the person who stays in God’s Word and checks daily to make sure nothing bad has been allowed to enter their life avoids decay and the troubles that come with bad decisions and living far from where God would have them be.
God wants us to follow Him. But He never forces His will on anyone. He wants us to choose Him. And to choose Him is to choose life. Oh sure, there will still be problems that will arise, but the Christ follower has the comfort of knowing the Savior is standing beside them and offering guidance along the way.
So, are you the building set for demolition, or are you the well-taken care of teeth? Let me put it another way. Are you dedicated to following God, or do you just follow the whims of the day, never mind the risk?
Follow God in all you do. It will make the difference!
