Written by: Beloved by Him
My daughter’s face was bright red as she sat in the county health department, listening to the nurse describe the shots she was about to get so that she could go on her missions trip to Africa. Aside from her regular immunizations, she also needed shots for typhoid, yellow fever, and Hepatitis A—seven in all. Knowing how much she was dreading the needles and the pain, I tried to say something that might encourage her, but it didn’t help. As her mom, I wished I could take the shots for her and she would be covered. But there was nothing I could do. She had to experience pain so that she would be protected from something much worse—a deadly virus—later on.
I think that life as a Christian works kind of the same way. Since we’re all sinners, God had to find a way to give us a permanent “cure” so that we can be protected from sin’s power and the spiritual death it causes. This is why He sent Jesus, to inflict Him with our sin so that He could defeat it on the cross once and for all (Romans 6:23). Once we’ve accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, we become born-again in our spirits, free to live healthy, Godly lives.
One of the keys to staying healthy, spiritually and physically, is to be obedient to God and to our parents. Ever wonder why your parents always say, “Brush your teeth...Don’t eat junk food...Take your vitamins...Don’t watch that/listen to that/act like that...Tell me who you are with and where you are going?” It’s a love thing: Your parents are looking out for your best interests. God gives us His laws for the same reason. His Word will keep you on the right track, strong and ready to serve Him.
We also need our “shots”—not real shots, but times of extra discipline or correction that bring an extra dose of God’s wisdom and grace into our lives. Sure, it’s uncomfortable; it might sting a little and be sore for a while afterwards. But in the long run, it protects us from a bigger sin “infection” that could do a lot more damage.
If we don’t trust God and receive His correction, then we may find ourselves spiritually sick as a result of our sin. We become weak, unable to resist temptation or share the Gospel. Sin causes physical illness as well. 3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you would prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers.” We learn the hard way that it’s a mistake to think we can do what we want apart from God’s perfect law and not suffer the consequences.
Thankfully, in Psalm 103:10, God promises to never punish us according to our sins—Jesus took the penalty for that. Instead, our heavenly Father is always faithful to give us the perfect dose of His divine instruction. He’ll show us where we’ve gone wrong, restore our peace, and heal our emotions (Heb. 12:5-11). Then hopefully next time, we won’t be so quick to refuse to take our medicine, because we’ll remember that it’s for our own good.
“My (daughter), do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the (daughter) in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12
I think that life as a Christian works kind of the same way. Since we’re all sinners, God had to find a way to give us a permanent “cure” so that we can be protected from sin’s power and the spiritual death it causes. This is why He sent Jesus, to inflict Him with our sin so that He could defeat it on the cross once and for all (Romans 6:23). Once we’ve accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, we become born-again in our spirits, free to live healthy, Godly lives.
One of the keys to staying healthy, spiritually and physically, is to be obedient to God and to our parents. Ever wonder why your parents always say, “Brush your teeth...Don’t eat junk food...Take your vitamins...Don’t watch that/listen to that/act like that...Tell me who you are with and where you are going?” It’s a love thing: Your parents are looking out for your best interests. God gives us His laws for the same reason. His Word will keep you on the right track, strong and ready to serve Him.
We also need our “shots”—not real shots, but times of extra discipline or correction that bring an extra dose of God’s wisdom and grace into our lives. Sure, it’s uncomfortable; it might sting a little and be sore for a while afterwards. But in the long run, it protects us from a bigger sin “infection” that could do a lot more damage.
If we don’t trust God and receive His correction, then we may find ourselves spiritually sick as a result of our sin. We become weak, unable to resist temptation or share the Gospel. Sin causes physical illness as well. 3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you would prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers.” We learn the hard way that it’s a mistake to think we can do what we want apart from God’s perfect law and not suffer the consequences.
Thankfully, in Psalm 103:10, God promises to never punish us according to our sins—Jesus took the penalty for that. Instead, our heavenly Father is always faithful to give us the perfect dose of His divine instruction. He’ll show us where we’ve gone wrong, restore our peace, and heal our emotions (Heb. 12:5-11). Then hopefully next time, we won’t be so quick to refuse to take our medicine, because we’ll remember that it’s for our own good.
“My (daughter), do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the (daughter) in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12
