How many of us actually take the time to read the owners manual that we get with the car we buy? I sure don't. In fact, I don't read ANY of the owners manuals I get with any major purchase. I tend to jump right in and start using the product. I just don't make the time. I know that there are certain things I need to do to ensure my car runs properly (gas, oil change every 5000 miles, new air filter when it turns black!). But that's it. I realize that if I took the time to read the manual, I'd probably be able to avoid some major, future expense. By default, when we ignore the recommendations in the owners manual we end up needing the repair manual. The manufacturer who built the car KNEW exactly what service requirements are needed at which intervals. How do they know? They designed and manufactured the car. They know it inside and out. They also know that most folks don't read the owners manual, despite the fact that a good salesman will go over the importance of the manual before you drive the car off the lot.
The One who made us provided us with an owners manual - it's called The Bible. God designed us - He knows precisely what we need to put into our bodies and how we need to live. He's provided recommendations (and commandments) to keep us out of trouble. The problem is that most of us don't crack the owners manual until it's too late. By that point, we need a repair manual - the owners manual doesn't do us any good. If your arteries are clogged from years of poor food choices, or your lungs match the color of your car's air filter, changing your habits may get you a few years back but most of the damage has been done. If you've lived a life making poor choices in your personal life - maybe its drugs, alcohol, gambling, or some other addiction - you're looking at needing some major repairs at some point, it's only a question of when.
By not taking the time to read the owners manual, we throw caution to the wind and take our chances that everything will turn out right. It's as if we believe that we know better than the Manufacturer. God loves us so too much to see us living our lives to anything less than our full potential. When we ignore His direction and counsel, we compromise the full promise that He has laid out for us and we make our journey that much more difficult and that much less fulfilling. Reading and applying the principles He provided in the ultimate owners manual is no guarantee that we will live a problem-free life, but it will minimize our need for a repair manual and increase the likelihood that we can live the lives He intended. BELIEVE.
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