Taking Stock

Recently my son had a cycling accident, not his fault, but he ended up in hospital with a collapsed lung, five broken ribs and extensive bruising. As he was in so much pain, he was only breathing in a very limited way, resulting in renewing the air in the top of the lungs but not the bottom. This can lead to infection and possible pneumonia, so he had an epidural in the chest to dull the pain and enable him to breathe normally, thus avoiding any possible infection.

More recently our newish washing machine stopped with a red light on against ‘hygiene information’. The manual confirmed we had not done a high temperature (90 degrees) wash lately, which could allow bacteria to grow in the machine.

In the Old Testament (Psalm 24), we are called to have ‘clean hands and a pure heart’. We know that dirty hands can cause infection and food poisoning, but morally can lead to a variety of unsavoury traits. A pure heart is more spiritual, but a lack of purity can result in such things as dishonesty, deceit, jealousy, and many other shortcomings.

Deep breathing keeps our lungs healthy; hot washes keep our washing machines free of bacteria; and in a similar way ‘clean hands and a pure heart’, will help to ensure we lead exemplary lives. Is there anything lurking in your life, and do you need to take stock and give your character an MOT?

John Telford is a Member of The King’s Community Church

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