Once there was a guy (let’s call him “Bob”) who was having a problem with his car. He got out the owner’s manual and tried to troubleshoot the problem. He tried to find out what could have been causing the car’s problem so that he could have a clearer idea about how to fix it. Bob’s car knowledge was probably above that of the average person, yet he became frustrated when he couldn’t fix the problem.
Although Bob pored over the owner’s manual as he looked inside his car, he couldn’t quite get his car to work properly. Disappointed, he threw up his hands in despair and concluded that the owner’s manual was wrong. In his mind, the owner’s manual had “irreconcilable contradictions” and nothing was going to change his mind about that.
Frustrated Bob had a friend, Tom, who was having his own car problems. Tom had his own journey when it came to his car knowledge. In the past, Tom would be intimidated by cars and kept his distance from them, for he was afraid of making the slightest mistake to permanently damage the car or make it worse.
Should he have ever attempted to change the oil, replace a tire, or troubleshoot anything on a car, Tom would be filled with anxiety at the prospect. That’s why he always took his car to somebody else whom he trusted to solve the problem for him.
Over time, however, as he worked through other personal anxieties in his life, he would become more open to the idea of taking baby steps to increase his basic car knowledge by occasionally watching YouTube videos about car basics. He still would not attempt to work on cars himself unless he was supervised closely by an expert.
One day when his car had an operational problem, he brought his car in to an expert mechanic. Tom happened to have the same model of car as Bob, and they were actually experiencing the same mechanical issue.
Tom’s mechanic, Jim, was much more intimately familiar with the owner’s manual than both Bob and Tom. Jim had not only expert knowledge on the car and how to fix its problems, but he possessed an even greater network of resources when it came to diagnosing and troubleshooting car problems.
He could even communicate with the author of the owner’s manual himself. Mechanic Jim, like Bob, was initially a little perplexed and confused when he first encountered the problem.
Jim consulted the owner’s manual, but he was still stuck. However, when Jim called the manufacturer, whose name was Josh, this manufacturer gave Jim the information which made more sense of the problem. It turned out that the owner’s manual did not contradict itself after all.
Both Jim and Bob were just confused and lacked the full informational framework for correctly understanding and interpreting the owner’s manual at that time. But when Jim talked with the manufacturer, Josh, it finally made sense and Jim could finally use that information to fix the problem with Tom’s car.
Questions for reflection:
- There’s an old saying that goes, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” How might that saying apply to this story?
- Bob felt that the owner’s manual contained “irreconcilable contradictions.” Was this necessarily true? Or were those “contradictions” simply the result of lack of complete knowledge on Bob’s part?
- How did Tom manage to get his car fixed, while Bob’s car problem continued unresolved?
- What advice would you give Bob for potential next steps at overcoming his car problem?
- If Bob was proud when it came to his own car knowledge and abilities, how might his pride prevent him from seeking expert counsel from other mechanics?
- How can a humble posture or attitude result in acquiring the knowledge, resources, and assistance to resolve one’s problem sooner?
- How can a proud “know-it-all” mindset bring frustration and keep a person stuck in their problem(s)?
- There’s an old proverb that says, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.” How did Tom’s relationship with the mechanic, Jim, apply here?
- How did Jim’s relationship (or communication) with the manufacturer, Josh, bring clarity to the car’s issue?
Questions for deeper reflection:
- Are there areas of our lives where we think we have already “know-it-all” or have already “arrived” spiritually? How might such mindsets affect our relationship or communication with God?
- How might pride result in discouragement and defeat regarding the problems we may experience?
- How can our relationship with our “mechanic” or “Manufacturer” quell anxieties about our “car problems” (whatever obstacles we are facing in life)?
- How can personal communication with our Maker better inform our understanding of His “Manual”?
- Since “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble,” how can we shift our mindsets to that of an eager hunger to know Him both more accurately and intimately?
| Parable key: |
| The owner’s manual: the Bible |
| Bob: a proud person, “scoffer,” or person with a “know-it-all” attitude which hinders him from asking for help due to fear of rejection and/or shame |
| Tom: a humble person, someone with a relationship with God who relies on Him and His expert knowledge, who is unafraid of others’ opinions about him because he is secure in who God made him to be and where he is at in that journey |
| Jim: a humble person who serves others from a greater wealth of resources, experiences, and history with God |
| Josh: God; Jesus; our “Manufacturer” who designed and created us, who knows us intimately; the author of the “Owner’s manual” |
| Bob/Tom’s car: our lives, physical bodies |
| Bob/Tom’s car problem: any problem with our lives, relationships, health, finances, etc. |
For more information on knowing God personally, see the post “Four Spiritual Laws for Healing a Broken Heart” here.
