"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
— Psalm 119:105
The Failure Point
In the shop, "about right" is the quickest way to destroy an engine. If the crank bolt calls for 80 ft-lbs and you guess, one of two things happens: you strip the threads, or the part flies off on the highway.
There is no gray area in mechanics. There is a spec, and there is failure. Guessing isn't a mechanic's "style"; it is negligence. You cannot negotiate with physics, and you cannot charm a bolt into holding.
Operating Without a Wrench
We often treat our lives with less respect than we treat a used car. We guess at our marriages. We estimate our parenting. We navigate our morality based on "what feels right" or what the culture is currently vibrating with.
We are operating without a torque wrench, tightening the bolts of our lives until they snap.
The Psalm above calls God's Word a "lamp to my feet." We often interpret this as a warm, comforting glow. It isn't. It is the only illuminated path in a pitch-black room. It is the Manufacturer’s Service Manual.
Read the Specs
God designed the machine. He set the tolerances. He knows the load limits of the human heart and the breaking point of the human mind.
When you ignore the manual, you don't break the rules; you break yourself against them. The wreckage in our lives is rarely a mystery; it is almost always the result of ignoring the instructions.
Stop guessing. Stop hoping it holds together by luck. Open the book and read the specs.
View Source Video: Why You Keep Breaking Things
Tech Note: If the engine is already blown, do not attempt to fix it yourself.
Refer to the Warranty Department.
(See: 2 Corinthians 5:17)