“Why Bolts Fail (Part 2)”

Friday, April 28, 2023

Why Bolts Fail (Part 2)

By Norman Pence

In addition to the two causes of failure mentioned in the first article, STRESS and FATIGUE, we will now look at two other causes, CORROSION and EMBRITTLEMENT.  If you haven’t read the first article, I encourage you to do so.

CORROSION

Corrosion in Christians, like corrosion in a bolt, usually begins very slowly and subtly goes to the very center of our being. The vicious environment of the world and the hostile forces of Satan launch their attack quite unexpectedly. They usually begin to eat away at the way we think and act. They go to the very heart of our soul and begin to slowly alter our attitudes toward life, our family, the church, our spouse and eventually God Himself. Our heart becomes consumed by anger, bitterness, strife, and dissatisfaction. Suddenly everything is wrong with our life. Unhappiness and discontent are the order of the day.  Finally, we are eaten up with self-pity, isolate ourselves and begin the final phase of complete failure -- departure from God.

Such is a very horrible picture, but it happens all too frequently. We often fail because we allow "the cares and riches and pleasures of this life" (Lk. 8:14) to gnaw away at our spiritual life and place our emphasis on things that "rust doeth corrupt" (Matt. 6:19-20).

Corrosion can occur in metals when they are placed in an environment or exposed to chemicals and other agents that gradually eat away at the material and eventually cause failure.

As Christians we must be careful about the environment in which we live as well as the conditions and circumstances we subject ourselves to. It's easy to be influenced by evil forces. The effect that they have on our lives can be more dangerous than seems evident. Paul speaks in 2 Tim. 2:14-17 of some whose "wrangling about words" would "lead to the ruin of the hearers" and whose "worldly and empty chatter" would "lead to further ungodliness and their talk will spread like gangrene." Gangrene is a disease by which any part of the body suffering from it becomes so corrupted that, unless a remedy is soon applied, the evil continually spreads, attacks other parts, and at last eats away the bones. So it is with useless, godless teaching and sinful conduct. They are sure to spread and increase. They should be attacked and destroyed as soon as they are discovered. We must not allow them to corrode our minds and destroy the life we have in Christ Jesus. Sometimes we place ourselves in the wrong environment by associating with those of the world. We may say, "Well it don't bother me, just because they curse and drink and lead immoral lives doesn't mean I have to!" Paul warns us, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12). James says, "...do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (Jas. 4:4).

And Paul warns us to "not be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor. 15:33). Taking this verse in context, Paul is telling the Corinthians to cease association with those who denied the resurrection. It would tend to corrupt the simplicity of their faith, pervert their view of the truth, and thus corrupt their lives. It is always true that such an association has a damaging effect on our heart and mind. At first, it seems harmless. "I don't have to believe it just because I associate with them", we are heard to say. But the silent influence of their words, conversation, and example begins to have their effect. We become less watchful and cautious, we look with less alarm at the error they are teaching and the lifestyle they are living.  As we become more familiar with this lifestyle eventually we ask, "Why can't I engage in all this fleshly pleasure the same as they?" We lose our spirituality, love of prayer, the desire for a holy life and devotion to God. And the devil looks around at us and says -- gotcha!

We must "rust proof" and guard our hearts and minds against the deteriorating influence of the world and prevent the corrosive effect of sin by keeping ourselves separate from worldly influences and immersing ourselves in Christ Jesus.

EMBRITTLEMENT

Failure occurs when the bolt becomes brittle, due to the stress of the load, chemical changes within the bolt and the processes it has been subjected to.  Embrittlement occurs in us when certain conditions and attitudes exist that make us easily offended or overthrown. The Christian (bolt) becomes fragile (sensitive) and is easily cracked, broken, snapped, or shattered.

My wife tells of a time when their neighbor was coming down the lane to get her father to give him a haircut, as he had done for many years. As the neighbor approached the house, suddenly the lights went out (they had gone to bed). After this, they wondered why their neighbor had become cold and would not even speak to them -- and never came back to perform another haircut. It was not until many years later they found out he had told others, "they saw me comin' and turned the lights out!"

Many relationships have been destroyed because of sensitive, suspicious feelings. Our feelings become fragile, we are easily upset and offended. We become unable to take things in stride.  We take things too personal and begin to think that everything is directed toward us. As those who have been "chosen of God" we are to be patient with one another, "bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you" (Col. 3:12-13). Paul admonishes us to be forbearing to one another in love (Eph 4:2). He spends most of the books of 1 & 2 Corinthians teaching brethren how to stay together and worship together. He instructs them to work out their differences with mutual respect, to be spiritually minded, to be mature fellow-workers. Instead of being "carnal men" he wanted them to be "spiritual men" who were being transformed into the image of Christ Jesus.

Hurt feelings, an offense or wrong suffered can be very difficult to overcome. None of us like to admit we are immature enough to have our feelings hurt. We can avoid this failure by being content with the load and function the Lord has placed upon each of us and develop a loving, confident relationship and an attitude of openness and trust with one another.

PREVENTION

A proper load is critical to the prevention of failure. An "underload" can cause failure the same as an "overload". Each "joint" in the kingdom has a function and responsibility to perform. Each of us has a load to bear -- just the right amount as the Lord has given. He did not intend for us to be free from work, trials, temptations, and responsibility (Gal. 6:5; Lk. 9:23). Thank God for an adequate amount of pressure, for stress, for our workload, because they not only keep us working properly here, they also are "...producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen..." (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

Just as a good engineer would attempt to properly diagnose the cause of bolt failure, we each must examine ourselves. Paul said, "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test" (2 Cor. 13:5)?

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