A need for antibiotics is usually the reason I go to see a healthcare professional. I know when I need a round of them, but I can’t buy them without an authorization.
If I could buy them off the pharmacy shelf, I might never go to a doctor again!
I have learned what is usually going on with my body. Not that I always take the necessary steps to correct it, I know what has caused the thirteen extra pounds since my last visit, but I still eat the cookies. I’ve had some of the familiar symptoms of a UTI. So, off to see my friend Jana and get the pills, let’s get it stopped early.
Antibiotics are useless against a virus, but if it is a bacteria, an antibiotic is necessary to stop the nasty little things from reproducing. And reproduce they will… Three days of these little pills usually does the trick. I wish there was a pill that effective for other things that reproduce in humans. Things like dishonestly, negativity, selfishness, bullying, gossip…the list could be endless. Antibiotics won’t touch it. Maybe bad behavior is viral, chuckle… No. Bad behavior is always a sin problem at the bottom of it. It isn’t a bacteria. It isn’t a virus.
It isn’t a disease of any sort. It is a human condition we all share. Left unchecked, it grows and spreads. Pills aren’t the answer. No kind of medical treatment is effective. Self improvements can’t suffice.
Jesus is the only remedy. Jesus is the only sinless human ever to exist.
The recovery we need can’t be achieved by learning nor by effort. But we do need treatment, and the only effective treatment is in God’s grace. Healing is accomplished by our repentance and His forgiveness.
I recognized my sickness. I knew the needed treatment. I made the trip to the office, even bought the pills. But until I take that medicine like it is prescribed, I will still be sick and the bacteria will continue to grow.
Reader, you can recognize that you have a sin problem. You can acknowledge that you need an effective treatment.
You may have realized that you can’t get rid of it by yourself. Like me, you may have exhausted yourself trying to do all things on ‘the do list’ and eliminating all the things on ‘the do not do’ list.
You can make the trip and sit on a pew, maybe even walk an aisle and utter some words. But until the remedy enters the very pit of you, the sin continues to breed.
Recognition of your need is a start.
Admitting it is a start.
Agreeing with the solution is a start.
But until there is an authentic turning away from and a turning to, there is no healing.
Not just sorry.
Not just guilt.
Not just remorse.
Not just emotional regret.
“…turn away from your sins. Turn to God. Then your sins will be wiped away. The time will come when the Lord will make everything new.” (Acts 3:19 NIrV) Be assured, it can be painful. It is difficult to break habits. It is not easy to give up sins and turn completely away from that kind of behavior. But there IS a better way and He WILL help.
But you gotta be all in, no personal agenda, nothing held back.
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with ALL your heart.”
(Jeremiah 29:13 NASB, my emphasis) “Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring” (Hosea 6:3 NLT).
Do you know Him? I’m not asking if you know about Him. Do you know Him? Do you know His character, His holiness, His love, His mercy?
Let today be the day to be introduced. Jesus revealed Him exactly. “In the beginning was the Word…” (John 1:1 NASB) Go read the rest. It is an amazing read…
