Way back in the day I got the School Technology prize. I was rarely happier in school than when I was behind a decent power tool. Looking back, I remember how often the solution to a materials-based problem would be “WD-40”. Squeaky hinges? WD-40. Rust? WD-40. Paint removal? WD-40.

It turns out that way beyond school WD-40 continues to be a solution for any number of problems: removing rust, loosening bolts, removing bird poop from your car, cleaning, polishing, preventing dirt from sticking to your mountain bike, keeping bugs at bay in the house, removing crayon from walls, unsticking piano keys, stopping wasps from nesting… Got a problem? The answer is probably WD-40.

You see if things are stuck, rusting, or wedged then you need a good lubricant to get it moving again. You need to minimise friction if you want to have a smoother process and forward momentum. If you want to clean something without damaging the material underneath, then a good lubricant can loosen the grime and free the surface from lasting damage or disfigurement. If you want to avoid dirt or pests from setting up home then you need an impenetrable barrier.

Sometimes in life we get a bit creaky. Things seize up and stop functioning as they should. Maybe we have rusty relationships. Perhaps we’re like a car parked under a tree and someone else has come along and dumped all their mess on top of us. Possibly our devotion has dulled and needs a polish. Or maybe we need a repellent for the sinful snares that seek to steal us away from intimacy with Jesus.

Our lives need lubrication and throughout scripture, the Holy Spirit is likened to oil.

“You have been anointed by the Holy One… [and] the anointing that you received from him abides in you…” (1 John 2:20,27 ESV). If you’ve been feeling stuck recently, I’m gonna suggest you need a good drenching of oil. You need to “abide in” the Spirit. He can help us in our weakness. Make sure you are “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 ESV) and you will soon find yourself moving forward again, walking in freedom; rejuvenated, cleansed and rust-free.