by Christina Stolaas
A few weeks ago I had my semi-annual trip the dentist for a teeth cleaning. I have no fear of dentists, but, there are certainly other ways I’d rather use my time and money. With that being said, I make going regularly a priority because I love the feeling of deeply cleaned pearly white teeth. I realize that neglecting to go inevitably means a cavity and/or teeth decay will almost be guaranteed in the future.
As I sat there enjoying the quiet while the dentist performed the cleaning I had an “aha” moment: As a Christian I am expected to do regular maintenance for the health of my spiritual teeth. Some daily maintenance techniques are bible reading, praying, confessing, and renewing my mind. I strive for diligence because I know the benefits of these good habits. However, somedays like brushing and/or flossing physically—my maintenance becomes rushed and therefore not nearly as effective. Other days, I fail completely for whatever reason to perform the maintenance prescribed.
Sitting in a dentist chair requires a vulnerability I rarely experience in life. Literally I must sit still, helpless even, as he peers into my mouth with an ultra bright light. From his unique angle and the tools in hand, the dentist is able to look between crevices in my teeth that generally stay well hidden from the public. The areas illuminated by his light are literally areas that can only be viewed in his position and with his expertise, but if left unattended to can create much unnecessary pain.
When I sit in God’s dentist chair, I hope and half expect that my neglect will be unnoticeable. The truth is, the plaque and junk in my spiritual life sometimes needs a deep cleaning by THE Professional.
As I sat in the dentist chair this morning, I was strangely aware of how much faith I put in the dentist and his professionalism and capability. Calmly I sat there, eyes closed and completely restful for nearly thirty minutes while he used instrument after instrument to thoroughly clean my teeth. At times it was uncomfortable, I even bled a little! My trust was grounded on the fact that I knew beyond a doubt that all his efforts were concentrated solely towards my benefit.
It’s irrational that I can put such blind faith in someone like a dentist, but at times have trouble trusting God in the same manner. When God is cleaning the gunk out of my spiritual teeth I need to sit still, open wide and trust that whatever instruments He is using have a very specific purpose in the cleaning. At times the procedure may be uncomfortable and I am tempted to close my jaw, however, because God is good— everything He does is for my benefit! It’s simple: God doesn’t want His children walking around with cavities and decaying areas of their lives! I was reminded today that I regularly need to make time to sit in His chair and allow Him to make me pearly white again.
Is it time for you to let God do a spiritual cleaning? What is hindering you from it?
Christina is a young energetic mom to four adorable kids. She’s addicted to coffee, running and pursuing a deeper walk with Jesus. In her free time she enjoys blogging to share random thoughts and the cool things God teaches her at www.madhattinmom.com