Just the other day I was reminded of a timeless principle, taught by Jesus to his disciples and then passed on through scripture. The principle is “we reap what we sow.”
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap
if we do not grow weary.
– Galatians 6:7-9 –
In my daily work, I encounter many customers who are experiencing mechanical difficulties with their automobiles, in addition to the physical difficulties brought on by car accidents. In some instances these problems are brought on by a lack of regular maintenance. What a powerful reminder to us to take care of the things we have so they will perform the way we want them to.
After working with a particular customer, who’s car was in need of thousands of dollars of maintenance, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own situation. I, too, had waited too long to do the proper maintenance on my own car – leading to over a thousand dollars of brake work just a year ago. Then I looked back and discovered this was a pattern of behavior in my life.
Two other cars I’d owned in the past needed significant brake work. In each case, I didn’t perform maintenance at regular intervals. I’d just let things go until something stopped working. In each case, what I spent to fix the problem was far more than what I would have spent had I simply gotten my brakes checked regularly. So much for learning my lesson…
The stakes can be much higher than costly brake work if we fail to do the proper maintenance in other areas of our lives. Below, I examine two areas of our lives where regular maintenance is needed. Pay close attention to the questions I ask after each section. I encourage you to spend time answering them in earnest. Be honest with yourself, it’s the first step to making changes that will pay dividends for years to come.
We Reap What We Sow in Relationships
We can easily apply the car example to homes and other “things” we own, but it doesn’t stop there. Everything in our lives is in need of some type of maintenance. Our relationships need investments of time. As an example, I try to reserve Friday evening for husband and wife time. It’s just us curled up on the couch for a few hours, watching our favorite TV shows DVR’d from throughout the week. The shared laughter brings us together after a week of being on the go as Mom, Dad, employee, daughter and homemaker.
Also, every couple of weeks Jack and I take some time to be “the boys”, as Jack likes to put it. Usually we head out for a haircut and donuts afterwards. Sometimes we run a couple of errands then grab lunch. It’s time to catch up and focus on him and what’s going on in his life. Ask yourself the following questions about your relationships…
Are you spending enough time with your spouse or significant other, both with and without the kids around?
Are you investing time in each one of your children on a regular basis?
Are you keeping in touch with friends from the past and present? (There’s one I need to work on.)
We Reap What We Sow in Our Careers
Are you doing the same type of work you were doing 5 years ago, 10 years ago? Every industry goes through change and those employees who don’t stay ahead the game often get left behind. 
Seniority doesn’t mean promotion these days. In fact, it could mean a being laid off. Thankfully, my employer does a great job of making educational opportunities available whether it’s a management book we read and reflect on as a team or off-site classes that focus on time management, difficult conversations or leading through change. Not all employers make the same commitment to training and growth but that doesn’t keep us from making that commitment by using outside resources. Ask yourself these questions…
Are you taking advantage of growth opportunities provided by your employer?
Do you regularly read trade journals or books in your industry?
How are your computer skills? Do you struggle with new technology being used in your workplace?
In my next post, I’ll examine a couple more areas of life where maintenance is so very important. God calls us not to remain constant in our knowledge and abilities, but to consistently grow so that we may become more effective disciples throughout our lives.
