There are very few things in this world I like doing less than the semi-annual teeth cleaning appointment with my dentist. Don't get me wrong, he's a great dentist, but I never look forward to this exercise. The teeth scraping for plaque, the fluoride treatments, the x-rays, and the cleaning with gritty toothpaste I can do without. Then, I get a new toothbrush and told to floss more often. Sometimes, there might be another appointment in case a cavity is found. Hopefully, it will be more like see you in six months for your next torture session.
Of course, I could just avoid going anymore. But, that could lead to bigger problems down the road if I ignore this cleaning and maintenance. So, there I am sitting there in the dentist chair with the fluoride treatment going and me staring at a wall waiting. It dawned on me that this is how God works with me at times (it's funny the places you get spiritual lessons). Sometimes, it can be unpleasant or uncomfortable - but ultimately it is the best for your health.
I am going to make some analogies here, but keep in mind that your spiritual health is much more important than your dental health. Some of these analogies you may agree or disagree with or maybe say that's quite a stretch there Chris.
As I was sitting there, I mused about how tooth plaque could be like sin. If left untreated, it can grow and grow until it begins causing more damage. With plaque, its your teeth that will suffer. With sin, its your heart, your relationships, all aspects of your life that will suffer. In both cases, we are given tools - preventative measures. For our teeth, there's daily brushing, fluoride, flossing, and good eating that help out. In our walk of faith, we have God's word, prayer, quiet times, and worship that allow for the unveiling of sin in our lives.
Even with all the preventative measure we have, we still need to make appointments with a dentist to get in there and take care of the places we can't reach or remove the decay. Just the same way, we have no ability to deal with our sin by ourselves. If we try to ignore it, the decay will be such that the pain could become overbearing. Our lives can become impaired if not dealt with.
Now, the difference is that you only have to see the dentist every 6 months. We need to visit with the Lord 24/7. We need him to deal with our sin problem. Sometimes, like drilling, we need the Lord to dig into those places to remove our decay. Sometimes it will be painful and there may be blood - but it is important to be done. The alternative is so much worse. It shouldn't be ignored!!! The end result is that the Lord's work will result in us being healthier spiritually.
Sometimes, a tooth can be so damaged that it needs to be removed so that the infection wont spread to damage the remaining teeth and jaw. This is like when God is pruning us - removing the unhealthy parts to keep us healthy overall. As a person who has had a tooth removed (or 4 wisdom teeth), it can be painful and disruptive. But, it was the wisest option. The Lord wants us to be healthy. He does not want us destroyed by our sin. We need to be repentant and ask the Lord to work in us to help us. Not dealing with our sin will have serious repercussions.
To truly deal with our sin, we need to use the tools that God has given us. He has given us His Son and His word for us. We need to pray daily and place our sins before Him with a truly repentant heart. We need the expert on these matters (who is God) to truly bring us to healing. We just need to be humble and willing to let God work in us.
The difference is that while a dentist may not be able to save a tooth from the damage, God is always able to save us no matter how bad we think our sin might be. No matter how extensive or powerful a sin has on our life, God can still fix it. He is more powerful than any sin's hold on our life. This is a great comfort to all of us. Now, if only I could get out of these dentist visits.
Of course, I could just avoid going anymore. But, that could lead to bigger problems down the road if I ignore this cleaning and maintenance. So, there I am sitting there in the dentist chair with the fluoride treatment going and me staring at a wall waiting. It dawned on me that this is how God works with me at times (it's funny the places you get spiritual lessons). Sometimes, it can be unpleasant or uncomfortable - but ultimately it is the best for your health.
I am going to make some analogies here, but keep in mind that your spiritual health is much more important than your dental health. Some of these analogies you may agree or disagree with or maybe say that's quite a stretch there Chris.
As I was sitting there, I mused about how tooth plaque could be like sin. If left untreated, it can grow and grow until it begins causing more damage. With plaque, its your teeth that will suffer. With sin, its your heart, your relationships, all aspects of your life that will suffer. In both cases, we are given tools - preventative measures. For our teeth, there's daily brushing, fluoride, flossing, and good eating that help out. In our walk of faith, we have God's word, prayer, quiet times, and worship that allow for the unveiling of sin in our lives.
Even with all the preventative measure we have, we still need to make appointments with a dentist to get in there and take care of the places we can't reach or remove the decay. Just the same way, we have no ability to deal with our sin by ourselves. If we try to ignore it, the decay will be such that the pain could become overbearing. Our lives can become impaired if not dealt with.
Now, the difference is that you only have to see the dentist every 6 months. We need to visit with the Lord 24/7. We need him to deal with our sin problem. Sometimes, like drilling, we need the Lord to dig into those places to remove our decay. Sometimes it will be painful and there may be blood - but it is important to be done. The alternative is so much worse. It shouldn't be ignored!!! The end result is that the Lord's work will result in us being healthier spiritually.
Sometimes, a tooth can be so damaged that it needs to be removed so that the infection wont spread to damage the remaining teeth and jaw. This is like when God is pruning us - removing the unhealthy parts to keep us healthy overall. As a person who has had a tooth removed (or 4 wisdom teeth), it can be painful and disruptive. But, it was the wisest option. The Lord wants us to be healthy. He does not want us destroyed by our sin. We need to be repentant and ask the Lord to work in us to help us. Not dealing with our sin will have serious repercussions.
To truly deal with our sin, we need to use the tools that God has given us. He has given us His Son and His word for us. We need to pray daily and place our sins before Him with a truly repentant heart. We need the expert on these matters (who is God) to truly bring us to healing. We just need to be humble and willing to let God work in us.
The difference is that while a dentist may not be able to save a tooth from the damage, God is always able to save us no matter how bad we think our sin might be. No matter how extensive or powerful a sin has on our life, God can still fix it. He is more powerful than any sin's hold on our life. This is a great comfort to all of us. Now, if only I could get out of these dentist visits.
Comments
Post a Comment