A New Belt

But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:6-11 ESV). I usually do most of the floors in our house. Since I work out of our home, it is easy for me to run the vacuum. However, one of my pet peeves is when the vacuum doesn’t seem to work as it should. Usually that’s because the cylinder hasn’t been emptied or the brushhead is not adjusted properly. Sometimes it’s because the belt hasn’t been changed and has grown loose with age. That happened not long ago. As I turned it upside down I noticed many long strands of hair tangled in the wheel brush. A quick cut with a scissors cleaned up the tangled hair but the suction problem persisted. "Should I replace the belt?" With a screwdriver I disassembled the power head and yes, the old belt was very weak and worn. It was replaced and the power head roared into action, like a lion ready to devour it's prey. The carpet looked much cleaner. Our lives can be like that. We get used to the routine of things, the good, the bad, the ugly, the beauty and yes, the dust that lies around us. We remain unconvinced that our “carpet” needs cleaning up. Our worn out mechanisms that attempt to conquer the dirt and grit fail. Just as the power head needed a new belt, our lives need cleaning up with an outside Force, something that will never fail. The Scripture calls that “force” the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ death provides us the opportunity to be forgiven and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives provides us the wisdom and power to live godly lives. Of course it takes more than mere willpower to live that life. Today is our son, David’s birthday. He is 35. It hardly seems possible that so many years have passed so quickly. Many of you know that he has been an excellent athlete. In fact, when he was just two or three, a friend of ours who is a pediatrician remarked while watching him play that he had the natural attributes that would make him a good athlete. That evaluation turned out to be very true. However, it did not come without years of practice and drill. Today, David is a well respected and accomplished manager in a large business. Some years ago he decided to begin this career path. After countless months of preparation and study he has achieved this position. None of that could have happened without will power and commitment. Our spiritual lives are this way also. Fix the belt if it’s old and slipping, and then make the commitment to follow Him! What good is His power if you never use it?