Did you know that bicycle chains need to be lubricated sometimes? Of course, most of us know this, but knowing and ensuring it is done are two totally different things, and in my case, a forgetful mind does not help, especially considering I ride for most of the year. Eventually, the constant squeaking that occurred every Sunday on my way to church finally worked its way into my subconscious and I remembered to lube the chain. After that, the riding went much smoother.
Chains in use year round and left without proper maintenance can become rusty, and rusty chains are very bad. I was given a mountain bike once and the chain was so rusty that some of the pieces became permanently stuck in place- which meant they didn’t move over the sprockets properly and the bike would jerk. It took a lot of lubricant to get it going again, and one particularly bad spot never did completely resolve. If the chain had been kept lubricated, it would have never rusted.
Sometimes Christians are like old, rusty chains. We are supposed to work well together, flowing to make the wheels of life spin on our journey to the Lover of our souls- Jesus- but a chain doesn’t work so well without regular maintenance or lubrication. In the Old Testament oil was used for anointing (Ex. 29:7; Ps. 133:2) and is also used for burning in the lamps of the tabernacle where the lights were never to go out (Ex. 27:20). It is for those reasons oil is considered a symbol of the Holy Spirit. His light should never go out in our lives, and we should allow Him to ‘lubricate our chain so that it doesn’t rust and get stuck, but shifts easily to move us forward.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:16,17 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1Cor.
Basically, the above scriptures indicate that the living God dwells in us in the person of the Holy Spirit. His presence is ever with us (born again believers) and He helps us to keep moving in our lives. As His children we are not to live after worldly pleasures, controlling our own lives, making our own plans and setting our own directions, but we are to follow the Lord on the path (Pr. 3:6) He chooses for us or we will not be fit for His kingdom (Lk. 9:57-62). The Spirit will teach us (John ), guide us to truth and show us things to come (John ). He is the power in our lives (Rom. ) that helps us to witness the truth of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8).
We can certainly live our lives as rusty, old chains if we want to, but that would be a more difficult and ‘jerky’ journey on the way to our eternal life. Instead, we should choose to be spotless, new chains in the kingdom of God by living/ flowing in the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, daily following His leading, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Rom. 8:14