For the past several days we have been looking at Paul’s metaphor of a race to describe the Christian life. Yesterday we looked at the reality that in this race there will be times that we are injured. It probably goes without saying, but injuries require healing, and healing takes time.
If you are like me, not patient, you do not tolerate the healing process well. After my last knee surgery I rode my bike 20 miles the next day. Not the best. The reality is our bodies take some time to adjust and heal after a surgery. The same is true spiritually. Yes, the effects and the process of recovery are different. But they can take time and like physical injuries, if we do not embrace the healing process there can be further injury. In the case of spiritual injury, that injury can be inflicted on others.
Spiritual healing requires the Holy Spirit, the grace of God, and the blood of Christ. We may have to forgive, reconcile relationships. That can be hard and painful work, much harder than the physical rehab after a knee surgery, for that pain is deep in the soul. Problem is, like a knee, if we do not go through the process, neither the knee nor our Christian life will function well again. The knee will not flex. Spiritually we will be beset with bitterness, lack of trust, self protection, anger, to name a few.
It is not a good way to live.
Spiritual healing requires the Holy Spirit, the grace of God, and the blood of Christ. We may have to forgive, reconcile relationships. That can be hard and painful work, much harder than the physical rehab after a knee surgery, for that pain is deep in the soul. Problem is, like a knee, if we do not go through the process, neither the knee nor our Christian life will function well again. The knee will not flex. Spiritually we will be beset with bitterness, lack of trust, self protection, anger, to name a few.
It is not a good way to live.
No comments:
Post a Comment