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Written by Aaron Sparks
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Sunday, 01 February 2009 14:25 |
This week, I’ve not been feeling good with stuffed sinuses, headaches, sorethroat, and general tiredness. I even went to bed before my son one night! My point in mentioning this isn’t so you feel sorry for me, but so that you remember it’s not fun to be sick. Even when it means you get out of school, you can’t really do much but lay around and feel horrible all day, and then you still have to make up all that school work you missed.
Unfortunately, we don’t notice it so much when we are spiritually sick though. Sometimes we go on with our ailments for so long we begin to think that life like this was “normal”. We may be content to stay sick for the rest of our life and convince the world otherwise of our spiritual health.
If we allow our sickness to continue, it makes spiritual growth difficult and sometimes hindered altogether. Many may have been Christians for many years, but because of the ongoing sickness left untreated, they are stunted in their growth.
The symptoms of spiritual sickness are guilt, numbness, lack of compassion, lack of joy, loss of hope, short temper, seeking worldly things for fulfillment, and many more that may come up over time (Gal 5:19-21). If you see any combination of these symptoms, seek immediate help from the Great Physician.
Like a cancer, spiritual sickness can spread without detection if the symptoms are ignored. In some cases spiritual sickness may even lead to spiritual death. This is why it’s important to analyze yourself and your friends for symptoms and prevent this deadly disease from taking anymore.
Thankfully there is a medicine that can reverse the damage cause by this disease. It can only be administered by the Great Physician though, but can be helped with the prayers of many (James 5:13-16). The Holy Spirit has just the right ingredients to heal any sin sick soul. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control are there to undue any ill effects of the terminal disease (Gal 5:22-24). Life long treatment with the Holy Spirit is recommended for everyone and the only side affects observed have been positive ones.
If you think you may suffer from spiritual sickness, don’t wait any longer. Seek immediate help. |
