Articles
Symptoms and Remedies
I am no medical expert. Although the human body in its intricacies is something that is amazing and interesting to me, my knowledge about how it functions is very limited. The way that God crafted the human body to move, with all its muscles, tendons, joints, and nerves working seamlessly together in perfect unison, is truly a work of art. I am reminded of David’s thoughts in Psalm 134:14, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Truly, the body is a masterpiece of God. And yet, while the body is amazing, the soul of man is still more wonderfully made. I believe it is no accident that God uses the concept of physical wellbeing throughout the Bible as an analogy for spiritual wellbeing. We often sing of Jesus as “the Great Physician,” from verses such as Luke 5:31-32: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” When we consider that physical pain is a result of an underlying cause, it should come as no surprise that the sins we commit are the result of a deeper problem in our hearts.
In the little reading and research I have done, I have noticed a positive trend. Many physical therapists are to look at more than just the symptoms; instead, they are seeking to discover and correct the root cause of that pain or dysfunction. We must do the same thing spiritually. It is not enough for us to feel the pain of sin and simply attempt to fix it with a band aid. We must look to our hearts, where we will find the true cause of our problem. Whether it is a continuing sin, a lack of growth, or a nagging doubt, all the spiritual issues we have originate in our hearts. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
Are you suffering from sin sickness? Consider what David wrote in Psalm 34. “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Not only does sin have terrible spiritual consequences, it weighs us down with tremendous guilt and shame. Thanks be to God that through His Son we can be healed. We must examine our hearts. Upon realizing the weaknesses and attitudes that are leading you to sin, take action to remove those from your life and replace them with pure, godly thoughts.
Maybe your spiritual growth is stunted. Just as physical growth is a sign of good health, spiritual growth is as well. Not only that, it is a necessity! Consider your intake. Do you fill your mind, eyes, and ears with worldly garbage, or are you taking in the spiritual nutrition you need? “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7).
The sad truth is that as Christians, we tend to rely too much on what we did to be saved, and not enough on what it takes to stay faithful and grow. We rarely take the preventative measures necessary to ensure good spiritual health. In other words, we set ourselves up for failure, then wonder how we could fall! It is time for us all to do a self-examination. Status quo is not enough for the Christian who desires to attain “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Let us consider not only our problems, but the root causes, so we can take the steps necessary to be successful in our walk with Christ.
-DRC
