Is Your Check Engine Light On?

Few things in life are more unnerving than a check engine light. Isn't it amazing how a single light bulb carries the potential to ruin your whole day? Suddenly, a peaceful drive to the grocery store is replaced by a nerve-racking trip to the mechanic. What will they say? How much will it cost? Will I even make it there? These questions and more rush through your mind as you hope for the best. "After all," you tell yourself, "maybe it's just a bad sensor." As much as we all dread our car's check engine light, we all do the same thing when it comes on: go to the mechanic. You might be able to ignore a cracked mirror or a dented hood, but not engine issues. To ignore that warning on your dashboard is to risk making things worse or even breaking down. Just like the engine of a car, your heart is the driving force behind your thoughts, words, and actions. 

Impure thoughts, harsh words, and selfish actions are like check engine lights on the dashboard of our lives. As Solomon wrote in Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." The way you live is determined by the condition of your heart. That's one of the reasons memorizing Scripture is so worthwhile. By hiding God's Word in your heart, you are giving a "truth tune-up" to the engine that drives your whole life. What Scripture will you memorize this week?