Wednesday, July 30, 2014

It’s a pain in the neck


 
For a month I have had various physical symptoms including some major pain in my neck. I took pain-killers and ignored it. “It will go away tomorrow,” I reasoned. Yesterday, I finally saw a physician who looked over my symptoms and concluded that I have Lyme Disease.  It comes from a tiny tick bite that introduces a bacteria into the body that multiplies. A course of antibiotics will likely cure the problem and relieve my pain.

Do you know that pain is a gift?  It signals that something is wrong and that corrective action is necessary.  Touch a hot surface and instantly your brain sends a messages to pull your hand away to minimize damage.  Without the pain, your hand would be severely burned.  The ache of the soul is a signal, too.  What does it mean? It might be God calling us to return to Him. It might be indicate sin is present. It might be letting us know that we are not living for the right things, wasting precious days.

Are you treating the pain symptom instead of its cause? For the last four weeks I have used Advil, Tylenol, and Aleve.  They could mask the pain in my body, but did nothing to curb the disease. My physician advised me to continue to use those things over the next few days along with the medication that will make me better.  When our hearts ache, our consciences sting, or our soul is heavy – there are things in this world that we can use to ease the pain – temporarily.  Work and accomplishment will do it, for a while.  Diversions and vacations can make us forget for a week or two.  Then, too, there are always things like alcohol and pornography, that ease then deepen the pain of the soul.

Jesus gives this prescription for our heart pain. "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29, NLT)  It may sound too simple to accept.  But, that is where we start on the road to wholeness. Come to Jesus!  Sin-sick?  He forgives.  Enslaved to bad habits? His power brings freedom!  Emptiness and meaningless stalking you?  He invites you to work with Him in ways that matter.  Lonely?  Learning to engage in true worship with God's people as well as quiet times of personal prayer and meditation is amazingly healing. 

Almost all healing is a process. My Lymes will be cured, but only over several weeks. The ache of our soul is not relieved in an instant, either. God heals us from the inside out as we learn to live in ways that are spiritually healthy. Here's a word from the Word.  Read it thoughtfully, prayerfully today.  There's a lot of soul food in it!

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Be self-controlled and alert.
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while,
will himself RESTORE you and make you STRONG, FIRM, and STEADFAST." 
-1 Peter 5:6-10, NIV

Now, what are you going to do with those symptoms? Ignore them? Cover them up? Or, go to the Great Physician for healing?
____

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry,
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
 

What A Friend We Have In Jesus
 

Scriven, Joseph M. / Converse, Charles C.
© Public Domain 

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