Do You Have an STD? (Sprinkler Tweaking Disorder)

I spent most of 2002 building my own house, and one of the main goals was for the place to be as maintenance free as possible. I wanted to relax when it was done and coast through home ownership. I even put in an automatic underground sprinkler system for my lawn.

Even though that sprinkler system does a fantastic job, I still find myself tweaking with it constantly.  Tinkering with the zone schedules, adjusting the heads, and modifying the watering times…even though I don’t have to. Do you do that?  I hope so.

You see, I feel the need to do something to keep connected to the house I put so much effort into.  Evidently I think I’m missing out on something or won’t enjoy my home if I don’t go fiddle with a sprinkler head or change a watering time by one minute. As I pondered the philosophical verisimilitude’s and implications of my S.T.D. (Sprinkler Tweaking Disorder) I realized that’s what our Christian life is like: If it’s automatic and we let it coast…we miss out on a wonderful growing relationship with Jesus Christ and the “life more abundantly” He promised in John 10:10.

Sure, we true Christians have a “bypass Hell and go straight to Heaven” card (paid for and given to us by Jesus), but hopefully that’s the bonus at the end of a worked-hard, fruitful, and abundant life, not a reason to coast. Connecting with our Savior daily, is a need we should have…sorta like my need to tweak my sprinklers.  I hope you do too.

How do we connect to Jesus?

• Study Him.  I like reading the gospel of Mark because it is rapid fire “news stories” about Jesus. Move to Matthew, Luke, and John after you read Mark.  I suggest reading a few paragraphs a day is all, then think about what it is saying about how Jesus was like, and how He acted.
• Talk to Him.  Carry a conversation with him while driving to work in the morning once in a while (if you ride alone), it’s sort of like praying, but pretend Jesus is the passenger. Or, maybe take a walk and talk to Him as if He was next to you. It’s not that stupid, try it!  Put a blue-tooth thingy in your ear if you are worried what others around you might think.  Yes, you can talk to Jesus. Our main prayers should be addressed to God our Father, but remember, Jesus is God in human form, and alive, so we can relate to Him.  So relate to Him the things of your day.
• Talk about Him.  To your Spouse, or other Christians.  Ask them questions about their thoughts about Jesus. His sermons, His parables, His sacrifices. Talk about Him to those you wish would get to know Him…
• Thank Him.  He gave you the “get out of Hell free” card. Thank Him for that. Find other things to  thank him for like remaining on-point when things got really bad around Him, and for outsmarting the Pharisees when they tried to trap Him, and for forgiving Peter three times over breakfast in John 21:15-19.
• Obey Him. This is tough, I know, but we still have to try hard to obey him and do what He says “If you love me, keep my commandments” in John 14:15,23. Learn from Scripture what He means, reading His sermon on the mountain in Matthew 5-7 is a good place to start.

Please leave a comment below if you have other suggestions of how we can stay connected to Jesus, so our Christian life won’t become like this dead lawn: