In life, God has given us a great act of grace by bestowing on us emergency indicator lights. In a vehicle, these look like the check engine light, the oil light, the battery light, maybe even a tire light. Perhaps you are the type of person who takes excellent care of your car and has never experienced one of these lights coming on. Or maybe you are the type who drives with a ball of worry sitting in the bottom of your stomach as you continue to drive day after day even while that engine light glares in your face. Whether you own a car or not, you’re probably familiar with the concept. Cars are designed with symbols that light up when something is not right with the vehicle. In theory, the driver would then either look at the car themselves or take it to a mechanic to have the issue assessed and addressed.

Like cars, we have also been designed with emergency indicator lights. These are feelings or experiences that warn us we’re reaching our limits. Sometimes it’s physical. Tension in our bodies, a headache, or frequent colds can be signs that we have begun to operate in a stressed-out mode for too long and our body is giving up. Indicators can also be emotional like irritability, impatience, or intense sadness. These warning signs can show up in how we think about ourselves and in how we treat our family and friends. While the indicator lights can be frustrating, they are actually gifts of grace. They point our attention to an underlying issue that we have allowed to go on for too long. It’s part of the warning system God has imbedded within our design.

The problem is that when those warning lights go on, many of us choose to push harder on the gas. I have done this myself thinking, “If I just stay up late a few nights, I can get caught up” or “I’ll get to my Bible study or prayer time or Sabbath as soon as I finish these things on my to do list.” I might skip meals or things I enjoy because it seems selfish when there is still so much to do. If we continue to ignore the warning indicators, we will crash. Extreme exhaustion, chronic illnesses, high blood pressure, depression, burnout, and shorter life expectancy are just a few of the consequences when we continue to push past our God-given limits. At that point, we’re no longer able to do our mission to the fullest of loving God by loving people because we have nothing left to give. If you find yourself at that point, there is still hope.  Just because we ignored the indicators doesn’t mean we are doomed for the junkyard. God can still redeem and use. But it will mean checking our priorities, evaluating whether we put our trust more within our own abilities or within God’s, and becoming familiar with our indicator lights. Next time you notice your indicator light turn on, let’s plan to slow down and ask God to help us check the engine. 

Engage

• What do your indicator lights look like?
• What do you experience physically, emotionally and spiritually when you have pushed yourself beyond your limits?
• If you are sensing those indicators today, ask God to search your heart and reveal what fine tuning needs to happen. This will require prayer, stillness, and slowing down.

Supporting Scripture

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ”

Psalm 139:23 (NIV)

This article was originally titled “Check Engine” in the July 2025 issue of The War Cry.