By Doug Creamer

I am not good at fixing plumbing problems. I have fixed leaky faucets, changed shower heads and repaired toilets many times. Those are relatively minor repairs. Some of those repairs might result in a little cup to catch the drip, but the drip will normally stop after a few days.

We have a bathtub in our master bathroom. We both take showers. So when the faucet got stuck in the shower position I didn’t see any problem. It works well and neither of us takes baths. My wife mentioned the other day that maybe she might like to take a bath, but since it didn’t work, she couldn’t.

I decided to check on the situation. There is a push pin diverter that makes the water go up to the shower, and it was stuck in the shower position. All it probably needs is a little tug to change it back for bathing. When I gave the pin a tug it popped out. Problem solved, right? Wrong! Now water flowed in three directions: up to the shower head, down to the tub, and out the pin hole — all at the same time. I pushed the pin back in and it didn’t stick. The new water flow pattern wasn’t going to work.

I thought about calling my brother, who can fix anything. My brother figures out how to fix things by asking his phone and then watching YouTube videos. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I used my computer and asked Google. I looked through my options and found a guy who had a shower setup just like ours. His video was about three minutes long. It couldn’t be that easy, could it?

The video showed removing three screws, removing the broken diverter, inserting the new one, putting the three screws back in, and turning on the water. I followed the directions. I had it repaired quicker than it took me to gather the tools for the job. Now we can choose what we want a shower or a bath. My wife says it is nice to have the choice.

I still can’t believe that I fixed something so quickly. I wish I could apply the same principles to my spiritual life with the same success. Fixing ourselves spiritually is challenging, and maybe impossible, without God’s help. Some things in life we can fix if we work hard at it.

If your doctor tells you that you need to exercise and lose weight, then that becomes a matter of choice on your part. You can choose to listen and work on taking off some weight. You can choose to exercise or not. If you choose to listen and work on it, you can change your lifestyle and improve your health and well-being.

I believe that spiritual fixes require the power of the Holy Spirit. Our flesh does not want to cooperate with the Spirit. We struggle and resist God’s leading in our lives. Sometimes we think we know what is best, until we make a huge mess of life. Then we turn to God and expect instant results after failing to listen.

Romans chapter 7 paints a picture of the mess we make with our lives. Paul writes that he keeps doing the things he hates, and doesn’t do the things God wants him to do. Then you read chapter 8, which tells us that God does not condemn us for our failure because He knows we are sinful and live in a broken world. He asks that we turn to Jesus and cooperate with the Spirit. The Bible is clear that I cannot earn my way to heaven, but I can accept the free gift of God through Jesus His Son. God gives us forgiveness, peace and hope, in one simple breath.

The truth is I can’t fix me. I only create a big mess. But with God’s help my life can be completely different and I can make a difference in the world. We have to work with God and allow His Spirit to work in and through us. When I allow Jesus to live in me, amazing things can happen.

I want to encourage you to stop trying to fix yourself all by yourself. Invite God into your life and allow Him to work with you, to help you make the changes in you. Your spirit will feel refreshed, your heart will experience the forgiveness of God, your mind will experience a peace that goes beyond understanding, and you will be assured of your eternal destination. There is nothing greater than accepting Jesus and knowing the Creator as your Father and Friend.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or doug@dougcreamer.com.