You keep being pulled to the left so you keep pulling to the right to compensate. The inside is all worn down but the outer edges looks okay so you shrug your shoulders and brush it off. Then you hit a little bump and it sends you clear into a head on disaster.

If only you had gotten an alignment.

The purpose of a wheel alignment is to ensure your vehicle’s travel is truly straight, without pulling to one side or the other. The alignment will keep your travel safe, your wheels from uneven wear, your gas burning efficiently and your ride smooth.

Isn’t that like life? Our spiritual lives can get out of alignment.

I’ve been there. I’ve had times when I was just going through the motions; my prayers were rote, my worship was weak and my praise dry. I can remember as a babe in Christ my spiritual mom telling me that she was in a dry place with God. I COULD NOT fathom what she was talking about. I was on fire for God, shouting from the rafters to anyone who would listen. I couldn’t imagine not being intimately connected and actively engaged with Him. Well…I found out. And it wasn’t an all at once thing. It was the slow ebbing, the slow leaking and you look up one day and the relationship is flat.

4 Things We Must Know to Stay Aligned

1. The Signs

When your wheels need to be aligned, your steering wheel may be crooked, your car may be pulling to one side or the other, or you may see uneven wear on your tires. We also have signs when we are in need of spiritual alignment. We may feel disconnected to God. We may have fallen into practicing repetitive motions that lack true love and desire to spend time with Him. We may feel like we don’t “need” to pray. Have you skipped days of devotional time? Have you tuned God out? Are your ears dull to hearing His voice? Have you missed a few bible studies or ministry meetings?

2. How Did I Get Here

Your vehicle can get out of alignment by hitting potholes and bumps in the road, taking corners too fast and the force of gravity from regular driving. Likewise our spiritual lives come upon some potholes. Did a devastating blow cause you to question God’s love, care and concern for you? Did something happen to someone you love and you question his ability to protect? Did your moving too fast to make your own decisions without consulting Him pull you away? Did the everyday little issues of life, working overtime, social media, activity in other social organizations, a new relationship pull your attention away?

3. Get Aligned

Well, there’s good news! You can come in for an alignment. When you bring your car to the shop for an alignment, before they even proceed to align the wheels, they perform a thorough inspection of the front-end parts (control arm, tire rods and more). The technician uses high tech equipment to square the car’s wheels and axles. You can bring your spiritual life into alignment by asking God to inspect your heart. Cry out to Him.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

He is sure to answer, as He’s always been right there beside you, watching and waiting even if you can’t see or feel Him near.

“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:5

Not only is He right there, He loves you and seek to be with you.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

4. Staying Aligned

Just like we have regularly scheduled maintenance for our cars, our relationship with God requires regular maintenance. But like with our cars, we sometimes only bring them in when there’s evidence of a problem. Oh, my steering wheel is way too the left, let me bring it in. In our spiritual lives, we may be discouraged, disgruntled and in despair. You can bring yourself to the throne of grace where you can obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

How often are you taking with God? Not just taking TO God but WITH God? It should be a daily, ongoing dialogue not a once a day monologue. How often to do you seek Him in His word? How often do you enter His presence with thanksgiving and His courts with praise? And here I’m not even talking about being physically in church but His presence in your heart? Even if you are frustrated, mad, sad, confused, hurt, annoyed, irritated, cynical, jaded…whatever you are feeling just come to Him. He’s waiting with open arms.

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

Not only have I had to get alignments on my car, I’ve has to get alignments on my spine. After suffering from migraines for over 20 years, I’ve finally been set free. God used the hands of my chiropractor the help facilitate my healing. Chiropractic care was one of my last ditch efforts to rid myself of migraines. I had tried everything: food modification, stress management, breathing techniques, cold compresses, massage therapy, beta blockers, Imitrex, Aspirin, Aleve, Excedrin Migraine, Maxalt, Midrin, Zomig and on and on! All to no avail. But a sweet friend of mine who has witness my bouts with migraines and has even had to take me to the ER for them, was sitting in her chiropractor’s office and immediately called me and said you have to come here. That was 3 years ago and I can count the number of migraines I’ve had since then. My vertebrae get out of alignment and cause irritation, swelling and eventually migraines.   My chiropractor manipulates my vertebrae so they align properly. When out of alignment, my nerves are out of whack and lead to migraines, which can cripple me for days. It impacts my ability to serve my family and my ministry.

When we are out of alignment with God, it hampers our ability to effectively do the work He’s tasked to our hands. We can be crippled for days on end. This is yet another example of why it is crucial for regular maintenance. Our relationship with God is a living, breathing one that needs to be fed, watered and fertilized. When off track, we can course correct and get an alignment or adjustment by simply crying out to him and we can then stay aligned by maintaining constant contact with Him.

By the way, if you are indeed in need of a wheel alignment and you live in the DMV, please check out my cousin Terry Brown, owner of Certified Alignments (click here for more info). High quality, reliable, fast, efficient service with a smile is what you’ll receive when patronizing his shop.

Do you need an alignment? Join me in prayer.

Oh God I thank you that you beckon me to come. I thank you that you stand with your arms open wide ready to receive me. Here I am God. You said you’d never leave nor forsake me. I need to see you. I need to feel you near. You promised in your word that those who come would never thirst nor be hungry. Well God I’m thirsty and hungry so please feed me. God I need you now. Search my heart. Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

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