Deep Thoughts from a Dentist Chair

I just came back from the dentist today. I haven’t been in awhile. I had several thoughts that occurred to me while I sat in that torture chair for 45 minutes.

(1) Trust: Why do I trust this person that puts instruments in my mouth that sound like she is excavating a mine shaft? One of the main struggles of being human is trusting in the sovereign God. Yet, I willingly and without much hesitation trust this person, whom I only met 5 minutes ago to drill, scrap my teeth. I can’t see what she is doing and as far as I know she could be planning to pull my teeth out one by one or carver her name into my teeth. Yet, I struggle to trust God, the creator and sustainer to run my life.

(2) Faithfulness: I always have the best intentions before and after I go see the dentist. A couple of days before I go on a strict regime of brushing/flossing my teeth just like they told me to do the last time I visited. After taking a brow beating about the state of my mouth, I pledge to brush softly and in little circles, to floss daily, and treasure my teeth for the gifts that they are. How long does that pledge last? It is like when we go on a retreat or pledge to God, I will be faithful and study your Word everyday. How many times do we make pledges to God with the best intentions but fail to keep.

(3) Stewardship: God has graciously and generously given me these teeth, yet I fail to be a good steward of them. I don’t take care of them and treasure them for what they are and allow me to do. What if I didn’t have my teeth? Life would be different. I need to be a better steward of the resources God has given me, therefore allowing me to generous give of myself.

(4) Justification: It is one of the best feelings have your teeth professional clean. They smooth, the look shiny and they feel shiny. There is a confidence you gain from having the freshness and healthiness in your mouth. Yet, no matter how hard and how diligent I clean them at home; they never feel the way they do after the dentist. It is that way with sin, no matter what I do; I can never take the stain or remove my sin. I can make it look marginally better, make it look and smell more socially acceptable, but it is only through the professional cleaning of Jesus that any of us are able to have that smooth and refreshing feeling of being clean by the blood of the lamb. There is a confidence and freedom after been cleaned by Jesus.

I had no idea that my trip to the dentist would be so fulfilling this morning. I should go more often.