To illustrate the mechanics of this problem-solving tool envision driving a four-wheel vehicle on any highway when suddenly one tire goes flat. In some situations it may not be possible to pull off the road to get out of the flow of traffic. You must continue to keep up with the flow of traffic in order not to suffer greater endangerment.
Under these driving conditions several challenges confront the driver. The vehicle may swerve out of control or at least the ride will become bumpy. Under the more extreme conditions driving on one flat tire could cause another tire to be affected. Under the most extreme conditions all four tires can become flat and peel the tires off the rims. Have you ever watched the police pursuing a speeder on television? If so you should get the picture.
People driving their life’s vehicle experience this effect, but because of extenuating circumstances they cannot pull over to the curb of life and repair the tire that is flat.
Many people in counseling, upon hearing this explanation often exclaim, “That is me. All my tires are flat. Put air in any one of my tires and things will be better for me.”
“Not so,” I counter.
Humanly speaking we must put air in the tire that went flat first. An most often it is the physical time. As in the illustration above, the first tire that went flat pulled down all the others. The same is true in dealing with life’s flat tires.
The first tire to be dealt with is the Physical Tire.
But, Tom, you are a Christian counselor. Why don’t you deal with the Spiritual Tire first?
Looking at the earthly ministry of Jesus, as a model, which tire did He deal with first – most often? The Physical.
He fed the hungry, gave sight to the blind, healed the lame and the leper, and raised the dead. Only after He dealt, literally, with the physical, mental and emotional tires did He inflate their Spiritual Tires.
Many problem-laden come asking, “Why did God allow this flat tire to interrupt my life?
One ministry-boast that I declare loudly and clearly is this: “I don’t beat people over the head with the Bible; I don’t shove Scripture down people’s throats; I teach Biblical principles because they work.”
If I sent a counselee home after the first visit telling them to read the Book of John three times, commit 10 verses of Scripture to memory, and go to Sunday school and church every time the doors were open, and did not deal with the physical tire, they would come back and say, “God can’t even help me.”
Next time: Inflating Life’s 4 Tires
