A vehicle with a slightly imbalanced tire judders at certain speeds. It happens because the weight of the wheel is not centered on the axis of rotation. When my car wobbled, at first I thought the road surface was uneven, but then I realized my car had a maintenance problem. The Christian life is similar. Our lives run smoothest when they revolve around God. If we start giving undue weight to thoughts and activities that are peripheral to God’s ways then life often becomes uncomfortable—relationships grate, anxiety creeps in, and irritability increases. Worship should extend beyond church services and rousing Christian Radio; worship means making God central and that leads to health and maturity.
The nation of Israel was organized around God. His presence dwelt over the Ark of the Covenant in the tabernacle, the focal point of Israel’s tribal camps in the wilderness. Later the ark moved to the temple, built in the capital, Jerusalem. Even in heaven, God’s presence remains central. Aside from the important but symbolic physical centrality, God seeks to be the axis of His people’s every decision, word, and action.
As Israel journeyed the roads of history she frequently became off-centered and needed correction just as a tire does. Hezekiah’s father, the evil King Ahaz, led the nation badly and problems developed gradually. By the time Hezekiah took the royal steering wheel, there were serious handling issues. The religious practices of surrounding nations had been given more weight, while the temple, priesthood, and feasts became neglected (2 Chron. 30:26). King Hezekiah didn’t point to his father, he immediately owned the problem and dealt with it.
In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the square on the east. Then he said to them, “Listen to me, O Levites. Consecrate yourselves now, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry the uncleanness out from the holy place. (2 Chron. 29:3-5)
Not every wobble in life is a symptom of imbalance; the road does get rough sometimes. However, if the Spirit is convicting you that an area of your life is over-emphasized while another is neglected, then it is time for re-balancing.