Vital Signs

Bible Reading: Psalm 19:12-14

Tarak pushed open the door that had a sign with Dr. Sanjay Mahtani—the name of his father—printed on it. As he entered the waiting room, the office nurse smiled at him. “Hi, Tarak. Your dad is almost done for the day. He’ll be with you in a few minutes.”

Soon Tarak and his father were in the car, headed for home. “Dad, I heard on the radio that the president was having his annual checkup today,” said Tarak. “When people come in for one of those, they usually feel okay, don’t they? So how do you tell whether they’re sick or not?”

“Well, we check a lot of things and may run some tests,” said Dad. “Generally, if the vital signs are all good, the patient is healthy.”

“Vital signs?” said Tarak. “What are those?”

“Oh, things like blood pressure, heartbeat, and lungs,” said Dad. “I also check the patient’s height and weight and look at their ears, eyes, nose, and throat. I ask if they have any complaints at all. If I suspect there’s any problem, I order other tests.”

“And that’s why a checkup is so important?” asked Tarak. “Because there might be something wrong even if you feel good?”

“Exactly,” said Dad. “The sooner illnesses are detected, the easier it is to treat them.” He smiled at Tarak. “There’s another kind of checkup that’s important to have regularly—and it’s one we can give ourselves.”

“Really?” asked Tarak. “What is it?”

“A spiritual checkup,” Dad replied. “We should take a look at the vital signs of our Christian life. For example, we should see if prayer and reading the Bible have become regular habits, and we should have a loving attitude toward the Lord and toward other Christians.”

“So, if we’re mad at some of them, that’s a bad sign?” asked Tarak. “Or if we don’t want to talk to Jesus or go to church?”

“Right,” said Dad. “Those signs indicate we need to repair relationships as soon as possible—with God and with others. We need to ask Jesus to reveal any areas of sin in our lives so we can confess them to Him and be forgiven. Doing that helps us stay spiritually healthy and strong.”

Tarak nodded. “I’ll give myself a spiritual checkup today.” (Sherry L. Kuyt)

How About You?

When was the last time you gave yourself a spiritual checkup? Are you interested in getting to know Jesus better? Do you tell Him your problems and thank Him for blessings? Is there sin in your life you need to confess to Him? Do you enjoy being with other Christians? Do regular checkups of your spiritual life so you can grow strong in your faith.

Today’s Key Verse:
Lamentations 3:40 Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Give yourself spiritual checkups