ON THE VANGUARD

SERVICE ENGINE SOON
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."
Philippians 4:8

We've all been there at some point, some of us more often than others. In our quest to drive from one place to another, the car begins to make a funky sound. It may be a clunking, or tapping, or grinding, but usually it is followed with the red light district across your instrument panel. Then those three words are highlighted that literally could mean anything. SERVICE ENGINE SOON.
I am not a fan of those words and have seen them more often than I have wished. The issue could be in something as small as low gas to something as major as the transmission. A fix of a few dollars, or of hundreds, can only be estimated in that moment. It is in that moment also that our minds seem to go automatically towards thinking the worst and expecting to pay the most.
In some ways, though, the same should be true in our walk with Christ. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:8 to think on the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. As we are human, though, we do not always think on these things. We get sidetracked and think on money, personal goals, life, family, work. For me, these items can take up more time than I want, and more time than I spend with God.
I have found it funny, but true, that when I do find myself more consumed with other things than with God, that my spiritual "service engine light" comes on. You're asking, what does he mean? Simply put, when I am about to break down due to my lack of upkeep, God sends the Holy Spirit as my service light to blink and guide me to see the service I need. When I am not thinking about the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy things, this service engine soon light serves to convict me that I am in need of help.
One thing I have learned about this service light, however, is that the choice I make when it first flashes can save or ruin the car even more. The longer I delay to have the car looked at and fixed, the more potential there is for other parts to break. This principle is the same spiritually. Once the Holy Spirit shows me that I need to correct my lifestyle, I need to obey. Failure to obey the Spirit and continue my ill lifestyle will only cause me to go more off course and eventually out of commission.
So, is your "service engine soon" light on? Not the one in your car per se, but the one that relates to your spirit. Do you need maintenance? We all can find a way to get busy and make other items our priority. But is the Holy Spirit flashing the light and convicting you to let a few things go? If so, go ahead and get the maintenance needed. Allow God, our mechanic, to work and fine tune the engine of your heart. Trust me, it will save you in the long run. Don't ignore that light, and come join me ON THE VANGUARD!