When it comes to having someone working in our mouth, it only happens one at a time. Yes, there might be someone assisting. Someone helping. But they're not doing the work. They might be moving that suction tube around, but they're not really working. They're cleaning up and pulling out water and other stuff too disgusting to pay attention to.
Only one person's doing the really heavy lifting when it comes to our teeth. Only one person can be working on our teeth at a time. Period. Only one person's picking and poking at our teeth at a time. Only one person's drilling and filling our teeth at a time. Only one person is cleaning and polishing our teeth at a time.
There's just not enough room for more than one person at a time. And can you imagine how uncomfortable it would be to have two sets of hands and instruments inside our mouth?
And when it come to our having someone in charge of our life, I think it's the same thing. There's only one person that's calling the shots in our life at a time. We might move different people in and out of that place, but there's only one throne in our life. And only one person at a time can be sitting in that place.
We'll try all sorts of different kinds of people and things on our throne. We'll put success on the throne for a while. And when that doesn't work out, we'll put money, fame, or fortune. Sometimes we'll put relationships on the throne. Or maybe just that one person that will make us feel whole. Complete.
It doesn't matter who or what we put in that place. When they're in control, on the throne of our life, it's just not right. While we might feel OK for a while, it won't stay that way. Eventually there will be a nagging ache that they can't calm. An emptiness that they can't fill.
The only one who can truly and completely fill us is the one who made us. The one who died for us. The one who took our brokenness on himself and paid the price of our sin.
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together - spirit, soul, and body - and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it!
1 Thessalonians 5:23,24 MSG
Jesus is the one and only one who's completely dependable. The one and only one we need.