If I need trustworthy information about legal risks, I hire to a lawyer.
If I want to figure out that strange thumping noise my car is making, I talk to a mechanic.
If I am preparing a meal and don’t know how high to set the oven, I consult a cookbook.
If my teeth hurt, I (begrudgingly) go to a dentist.
When we want an authoritative answer to a question, we find the best source we can. A lawyer has been trained in reading and applying the laws of the land. He knows how the courts have interpreted those laws. A mechanic knows his makes and models. He has the service bulletins and the schematics to diagnose the troubles. The cookbook has a tried-and-tested plan that produces a good meal. The dentist has seen thousands of teeth before yours. He knows what’s healthy and what’s broken.
When my car is broken, I don’t consult a chef. When I’m ready for a good meal, I don’t call the dentist. I go to the right place for the right answer.
Where do you go when you have a spiritual question?
Sometimes we just sit around and try to think about it as hard as we can. We ponder our thoughts and feelings until we’re sick and tired of thinking about it. We don’t consult anyone except our own minds—the minds which got us into the mess we’re in. Maybe we get really desperate and actually talk to a friend or family member, or we turn on our favorite TV self-help guru or read our favorite author.
When we want a trustworthy answer, we need to go to a reliable source. We understand this with lawyers, mechanics, chefs, and doctors, but sometimes we fail to see it in our spiritual lives. When we have a spiritual problem, the best place to go is to the authority on the spiritual realm: the Holy Spirit. He wrote a book, you know! It’s called the Bible. If you’re having trouble finding what you need in that book, that’s exactly what our elders are here for. They shepherd us and feed us to help us find out what God wants for us.
When you have a spiritual problem—make sure you consult a spiritual source!