Made for MoreSample

The Damage of Misalignment

Who regularly gets their car checked for alignment? I do not have a problem with doing that. My problem is with defining the word "regularly." That is, like, once every ten years or so, right?

The trouble with misalignment is that you do not notice it happening. By definition, the car is no longer operating as it was designed to function. But it happens so slowly that you do not really notice the new bumping or the slightly tighter grip you need on the wheel. You do not notice the part of the tire worn down to the rim because, at first glance, you only see the half that is still fine. You think, "If the car is still moving, everything must be alright." Except driving has become a lot harder than you remember. More tiring. More tense. Requiring more effort than it ever used to.

This is how sin works in our lives. When we live outside of God's design, it hurts. It hurts us, and eventually it hurts those around us. So why not just take the car in? A few reasons. First, the drift is so gradual that we often do not realize it is happening. And once we do, we attach shame to it and move quickly to hiding or denial rather than repair.

Questions to pray on:

1. Is there an area of your life that has become harder, more tiring, or requires more force than it used to? Could misalignment be part of that?
2. When you recognize sin in your life, is your first instinct to hide or to bring it to God? Where does that impulse come from?
3. What shame have you been carrying that has kept you from getting realigned?