Let’s face it - I just simply don’t like to take medicine. I never have. To me, there’s just something strange about putting chemically-created, chalky, circular discs covered in a lacquered coating into my body! But recently, I’ve become a little more tolerant of the idea. I still don’t like it, but sometimes, I have found that you just have to bite the bullet and swallow the thing!
Recently, my doctor prescribed a medication for my grumpy joints that caused my stomach to rebel and feel as if my food would not remain with me for very long, if you know what I mean! I decided the side effects weren’t worth the trouble and so, I stopped taking the medication, against doctor’s orders. It felt rather freeing at first - at least for a couple of days. But by the end of the third night, I had decided that maybe the doctor DID know something about my joints and that the little chemically-created, chalky, circular discs covered in a lacquered coating didn’t seem so bad after all! For me, the benefits far outweighed the side effects.
The point is...the doctor knew what was best for me. He knew that I needed to take the medicine, even though I told him I didn’t want to take it. He knew that I would feel better and be able to function more efficiently in my body, if the medicine were a part of me. It was only my sheer stubbornness that decided to take matters into my own hands and stop the meds. After all, I knew what was best for me...or so I thought. I wanted to do it my way - not his...
...AND what does this have to do with Jesus?
Well, sometimes, what He tells us to do in His Word (His Prescription) is something that we do not FEEL like doing. Instead, we FEEL like doing things our way. We FEEL like doing what makes us happy, not whole. So, in our stubbornness, we don’t listen. Instead we go our own way - doing things the way we think they should be done. Soon enough, one of two things happens We either crawl back to Him on our hands and knees begging for relief from our own selfish nature, OR worse yet, we blame Him for not doing what He said He would do in our lives. Isn't that interesting? We blame Him, even though, we are the ones who refused to take the remedy that He has prescribed!
Okay, okay, but what in the world does that look like in real life? What does it look like to take the medicine that the DOCTOR (in this case, GOD) prescribed?
It looks like praying for your enemies - the ones who hate you, who despitefully use you and persecute you, who curse you - even when you feel like punching them in the mouth instead (Matt. 5:44). You might not like the prescription or the effects, but remember, it’s for your healing.
It looks like loving other with action, not just in word or deed - even though it might take a little effort on your part to stop and help the widow lady next door get her groceries into her home - even though it might mean you have to be ready for rejection when you offer to help someone in need - even though it might mean not ever receiving thanks for something you did for someone (I John 3:18). You might not like the prescription or the effects, but remember, it’s for your healing.
It looks like opening your mouth and speaking with kindness and gentleness to someone who is chewing you out - literally - even though it might make you look weak to those around you - even though it might be embarrassing to your pride - even though it goes against every angry fiber rising in your being (Prov. 15:1-2). You might not like the prescription or the effects, but remember, it’s for your healing.
It looks like choosing to be thankful to God in the midst of hurtful situations, when all you can see around you are walls collapsing and torrents of water covering you up to your neck (I Thess. 5:18). You might not like the prescription or the effects, but remember, it’s for your healing.
The list could go on and on. There are SO many examples of “prescriptions” in Scripture, and all of them, though they might not be something that you WANT to do or like the effects of, ALL of them are for your healing.
So, the question before us today is - are we gonna trust the DOCTOR to know what is best for us - to prescribe the perfect medication for our remedy, OR are we - in our stubbornness - going to do things our own way and toss the Prescription to the side? I pray that we will choose the former and trust that God - even with side effects - knows what He’s doing to bring about our ultimate healing.
Dearest Jesus, Help me today to take my medicine like a good patient. Help me listen to what Your Word has to say about the situations that arise in my life today and respond the way You would have me respond. Teach me Your Word. Sink It deep into my soul that I may be healed. Thank You, Father, for Your healing...Your ultimate healing.
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