My Eye Personality (Proverbs 27:20)

One of the inevitable facts of life is, as we age, we become presbyopic or far-sighted. After age 40, 100% of the population will experience some degree of this. Reading glasses, bifocals...all of these are to assist the aging eye to view objects that are close.

I am no different. For the past 10 years, I have been wearing glasses with progressive lenses, a modern version of the bifocals without the telltale line on the lens. It allows one to see both near and far without changing glasses. I have an excellent optometrist who endeavors to stay abreast of the latest trends in contact lenses. Recently he was excited to share a breakthrough in contact lens technology. It was a bifocal contact lens that would allow me to avail of both near and far vision. I was eager to try it! Two years earlier, I had tried another version and was quite disappointed. This pair was different. I had no problem with my near vision and my far vision was only slightly off.

My initial impression was that it may be an excellent alternative to my glasses. However, within a few days, particularly at night, I found the decrease in acuity for my far vision bothersome at best and dangerous at worst. But my prescription was correct. I asked my optometrist if he could make the distance vision correction stronger but he shook his head, “People like you are always trying to get better and better vision. You already have the correct prescription and it may be these contacts are not right for you. It’s your eye personality, it will never be satisfied!”

I chuckled. “My eye personality? You are making a distinction from my ‘body’ personality, right?”

His eyes twinkled as he knowingly smiled.

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.
Proverbs 27:20 (ESV)

All too often, my greedy eye personality is a manifestation of my greedy nature.  I strive after the wind and other vanities when I should be content with what God has given and provided for me.

My eye personality? Jesus said my eye is the lamp of my body. And when my priorities are awry, my eye leads the way. Thanks be to God through His Son, Jesus Christ, that He has taken me out of the rat race of life, seeking after material possessions, and placed me on an eternal race that only leads to victory in Him.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"Just Hold Me" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Last week I suffered through a bad cold. The usual congestion, sneezing, and runny nose afflicted me for about 3 days. In my misery, I lamented and asked God what lesson could He be showing me? I could not see the good, only the bad.

And after I recovered, more bad news struck. My wife had caught my cold. And she was more miserable than I. I attempted to take care of the household duties and the kids, ease her burdens so she could rest. But I generally felt helpless. I asked her what else I could do for her but all she whimpered was, “Just hold me.”

As I lay next to her early Sunday morning and felt her misery, I knew exactly what she was experiencing and could comfort her. I prayed to God for healing. I prayed that her misery would be mine. God may not have healed her at that instant, but He was using me to pray for her and bless her, the same comfort that Jesus gives to His children. And I as cared for my wife, I understood why God had allowed me to suffer through my cold. He was preparing me to care for my wife.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)

It was a powerful lesson that God taught me.

Just hold me. This is what Jesus does for us when we are suffering. This is what He asked of me to care for my wife.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The Best Gift (Matthew 6:3-4)

Enter any hospital or public building and there is usually a wall replete with plaques and inscriptions of donors who contributed money to help build and maintain the structure. The generosity of many people have allowed countless wonderful structures and events to be established and maintained in this world.
But there are many gifts that remain unseen and are usually not publically acknowledged. Think of the many anonymous donors who have given. But even with these gifts, there may be someone in the receiving organization who will know the identity of the donor. A truly anonymous gift would be known only by the giver and by God. I think the best gift one can give anyone is by doing something or giving something that only God can see.

One way to accomplish this is by prayer. Prayer is a gift from God that allows one to commune with the Creator of the universe. And prayer is a gift that we can give to others by praying for them and asking God to intercede on their behalf. When we pray alone, we are privileged to give someone this gift.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:3-4 (ESV)

There are many types of gifts. But the greatest gift we can give is one that only God sees. For when He sees your gift given in secret, His reward is reserved for you.

This is the best gift!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

And God Still Blesses! (Proverbs 3:5-6)

More often than not, I find myself doubting God’s ability to make all things work together for His good. Instead, I question His promises. My selfish and arrogant nature often leads me to first attend to my needs. If all is well with my life, it is easier for me to take a step back and attempt to see the big picture of what God is doing in my life. But when things are awry, I can only focus upon the immediate circumstances and refuse to see how it can work toward God's plan for my life.  How narrow minded and short sighted this is.

God commands me to trust in Him with all my heart. But so often, my trust is far from complete and perfect. And yet, God still blesses me. Why?

If I was in the place of God, would I extend a similar grace and mercy to myself or another who failed that trust? Thanks be to God that He is perfect and does not harbor the same petty jealousies and hurts that always hinder my actions and behavior.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

Trusting in God requires me to take my focus off myself and place it squarely upon my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank goodness His mercy is not limited by my small and narrow understanding of who He is!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"Ill try anything, even God! (Acts 17:30)

My first semester in college did not go very well. I was living away from home. I missed my friends from childhood and high school. And my classes were far more difficult than I anticipated. I ended the semester with 3 B’s and an A minus. Although these were marginally respectable grades, it was not the kind of grades that would get me into medical school. I was desperate. I even considered transferring to Hawaii and returning home for college.

During that Christmas break, several friends and family members encouraged me to seek the help of a “spiritual woman.” She had helped them and thought she might also do the same for me. I was highly skeptical. Although I attended an Episcopalian high school, I was an atheist. My heart was hardened to anything that smelled of religion. But I was desperate. “I’ll try anything, even God!” I lamented to myself.

I attended several of her sessions. I meditated and followed her instructions to empty my mind. I returned to college for the second semester, somewhat more confident that I now had “God on my side.” And my grades reflected this new confidence. I reversed my previous semester’s performance and got 3 A’s and one B plus. I now believed that God really did exist. I was no longer an atheist. But God was not done with me yet. By revealing who He was through the Bible and bringing another Christian brother to witness to me, He continued to draw me closer to Him. Finally, one week before Easter in 1982, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior!

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent...
Acts 17:30 (ESV)

Be careful what you wish for! If you are willing to try God, He will continue to draw you toward Him until you know the One and True God, Jesus Christ! Don’t reject your only opportunity to be saved and redeemed from your sins by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. God should not be your last resort, He should be your first choice!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Even the Ants! (Psalms 145:16)

During quiet moments alone in nature, I like to observe the ubiquitous ants scurrying along the ground. It is a seemingly mad scramble that starts and ends in all directions. Yet, with some effort on my part, a logical pattern does appear. Tracing the paths for several hundred feet, a food source like a dead insect or animal is at one starting point and at the end of an equally tortuous path, the entrance to the nest is present. There definitely is an overall plan and the ants know it well!

As I observe this common scene in nature, it is difficult, almost absurd, for me to think that God not only knows the thoughts and actions of each ant but also is directing the process. And He does this while knowing the thoughts and aspirations of every other living creature on this earth. How can this be?

You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Psalms 145:16 (ESV)

My mind is so feeble that I cannot imagine why God would care about the plans and needs of billions of ants. And I am so full of pride, that I cannot imagine why He would NOT care! I am sure my activities and actions must be as amusing and simplistic to God as the actions of the ants to me! He satisfies the desire of every living thing because He created them.

Even the ants are cared for by God. How much more for everyone who has ever lived on this earth?

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The First Speech (James 4:6)

The other evening, I was a proud parent as I witnessed my son giving his first speech. What made this speech even more special was its spontaneity! Our family was attending a surprise retirement party for the founder and teacher of my son’s dance class for children with special needs. During the celebration, all of her students lined up and took turns offering their accolades to the teacher. I asked my son if he wanted to thank her and without hesitation, he walked up to the stage and stood in line. I did not know what to expect and thought about joining him on stage, to assist him. But as I witnessed his calm demeanour, I knew he was in control. When his turn came, he took the microphone. He spoke for about a minute. It was wonderful. Tears were in my eyes as I listened to him calmly and confidently give his first speech, completely unrehearsed!

At the end of his tribute, his teacher hugged him and exclaimed, “Ian is our youngest and newest student. He does not say much in class and this is the most I have ever heard him speak. I am so proud of him!”

Me too!

My son spoke from his heart. He did not worry about who was watching or his appearance. He did not concern himself with preparing a polished speech. All he was focused upon was his heart of gratitude and delivering his message of thanks to that special recipient. And he was blessed by her!

... God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
James 4:6 (ESV)

My son’s beautiful speech reminded me when we come before God in prayer and speak to Him, There is nothing we can do to make ourselves better before God. We can only come in humility  and share honestly what is on our heart and mind. We bless God when we are honest and He blesses us for our faithfulness.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"You are Covered in Prayer!" (Ezekiel 16:8)

Recently I led a study in our local church. In my preparations, I asked the church family for prayerful support of the study. One email sounded a note of encouragement, “You are covered in prayer!”

God comforts His children in so many ways. Prayer is one means of comfort. Even on that day, I was in email communication with a missionary physician in Cameroon, Africa. I also asked him for prayers and he obliged. I was literally covered in prayers from all over the world!

When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine.
Ezekiel 16:8 (ESV)

We have nothing good to offer God. All of our works, accomplishments, deeds-these are all filthy rags unless we surrender our lives to Him. He covers us with His grace and mercy so that we can stand before Him, sanctified by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ. Even at this very moment, Lord Jesus Christ is in Heaven praying for all believers, covering all in prayer.

Covered in prayer!

Never let me remove God’s cover from my life!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Why Isn't My Faith Stronger? (Luke 16:31)

God has physically healed me-several times. The first time was healing me of my allergic rhinitis, an affliction I had suffered through since 1981 in college. Three years ago, I took it to God in prayer and asked for His healing. He dramatically answered me and I stopped all medications. The same thing happened when He healed my of my acid reflux (GERD). More recently, He healed me of a raging and burning pharyngitis (sore throat) one minute before I had to sing solo at a memorial service.

Yes, God has healed me, unquestionably and undeniably. With so many tangible examples, one would think that my faith in God would be unwavering and solid. Sadly, this is often not the case. My memory of God’s deliverances is short. I still doubt and revert back to old habits and sins. Why isn’t my faith stronger?

He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”
Luke 16:31 (ESV)

I fear my faith is as weak as the brothers of the rich man, condemned to spend the rest of his existence in torment. After he died and was suffering in hell, he could see the poor man, Lazarus, whom he mistreated, being comforted in the bosom of Abraham in Heaven. And although he pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers to repent of their sinful ways so they could avoid hell, Abraham uttered the prescient words above. God knows that even if we witnessed the miracle of Jesus rising from the dead, it will not be enough for some people.

God has healed me. He has healed me of physical ailments. But most importantly, He has healed my sinful state and brought me into salvation by confessing and repenting of my sins and acknowledging Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

My faith needs to be stronger. I need to spend every moment in gratitude for what God has done for me.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Answer the Question! (Proverbs 10:19)

As this election season kicks into high gear, the television and radio programs are inundated with sound bites and snippets from debates between the candidates. Regardless of political leanings and party affiliation, one sad fact always seems to stand out. Candidates rarely directly answer the question that is posed to them. Instead, they launch into a diatribe expounding their political agenda. This is fine except I just want them to answer the question!

When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
Proverbs 10:19 (ESV)

The Bible reminds us that when someone talks over and around a question, they may be hiding the truth. Certainly not all candidates for public office are guilty of this, but the overwhelming evidence proves God right...again!

Answer the question. This is good advice for everyone, including politicians!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"I Don't Have a Will" (Romans 10:13)

A friend of mine underwent surgery the other day. On the eve of the surgery, he remarked to me that he had quite a bit of anxiety about the procedure. This angst was exacerbated when he was asked to complete the surgical consent form. One of the questions was particularly troubling to him. “Do you have a will or advanced directive?” With a pained look, he shook his head and said, “I don’t have a will.”

I nodded in silence. So many emotions and decisions are wrapped in this word. A will is to take care of those whom you love, after you have passed. These are very important decisions. But who will take care of you when you pass? The most important decision everyone needs to make is their eternal destiny. Do you know what will happen when you die?

God is placing you in the path of His grace to let you know that He is continually drawing you toward Him. For God does not wish any to perish but for all to come to eternal life. God speaks to all of us through many different people, through books and movies, through the beauty of His creation, and through His Word, the Bible. And it is all to bring each of us to the point to make the decision to call upon His name.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Romans 10:13 (ESV)

There is no better time than now to place your complete trust in God, by turning from your past life, and believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. God does hear the prayers of all who call upon Him. And if you confess and repent of your sins and turn to Jesus Christ, He is faithful and just to forgive you.

Let your will become His will.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"It's A Crutch!" (Proverbs 16:25)

For much of my youth and early adult years, I would sneer at Christians who would rely upon God for every apparent petty detail of their lives. For me, Christianity was an excuse to not accept responsibility for one’s own actions. Failure meant not working hard enough.

“It’s a crutch! I would declare.

But in my first year in college, my self-confident life began to unravel. All of my previous efforts, which had delivered positive results, began to go awry. It was only by God’s mercy and grace that He introduced me to a Christian brother who gently explained God’s plan for my life. My stubborn and unrepentant heart, which had defiantly turned on God for so many years, was now being changed. My crutch was my pride and ego. God is not an excuse for the weak, He is the answer to the strong.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Proverbs 16:25 (ESV)

If you rely on anything else other than God, it will fail you. Even relying upon oneself will ultimately end in failure and death for your soul. God created us for one purpose, to surrender our lives and will to Him so that He may transform us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. And no self-confidence, education, job, or financial success can ever replace Him.

Relying on God is not a crutch, it is your foundation.

Have you surrendered yourself to Jesus Christ, the God of the Universe?

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"It Scares Me!" (Psalms 22:1)

Many years ago, when I was in college, I was doing medical research in a hospital. One of my fellow student colleagues was a brilliant and affable young man, who had a sharp mind and even sharper tongue. When he found out I was a Christian, he immediately launched into his diatribe. “You know what bothers me about Jesus? When He said, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ It scares me!”

The concern of my colleague was genuine. For him, this verse, uttered by Jesus, was one of  the stumbling blocks that prevented him from accepting Jesus as His Lord and Savior. He felt that Jesus lived a delusional life, thinking He was the Messiah, and, only when He hung on the Cross, did He realize that it was all a lie.

In spite of many conversations attempting to explain what this verse meant and how the resurrection of Jesus Christ proved that He was not living a delusional life, my colleague persisted in his belief.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
Psalms 22:1 (ESV)

Jesus cried out with this verse from Psalms because for the first time in His life, He was separated from God, the Father. The weight and burden of every sin that was ever committed or ever will be committed was placed upon Him. His very nature was being torn from Him.

It scares me as well, that one Man would pay the price for my sins and for the entire world.  In this life, I will never understand the full meaning of what happened on the Cross. I only know that because of God’s grace and mercy to me, He paid the price for my sins so I may be redeemed before God.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

But I'm Tired...(Mark 6:31)

I am very sensitive to sleep deprivation. If I do not get at least 6 ½ hours of sleep a night, my brain gets fuzzy and I get extremely belligerent. I can easily trace the majority of arguments with family members to times after 9:30 PM, when I am usually in bed. I have tried to be accommodating during these times, but more often than not, I fail. And during these times, I can take comfort in the fact that God know exactly what I am feeling.

The Lord Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God. He experienced the same fatigue and stress I do when sleep deprived. In this passage from Mark, after a long day of teaching and healing, He wisely instructs His disciples to retreat to a desolate place to rest.

And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
Mark 6:31 (ESV)

And yet, there was no rest for Jesus.

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
Mark 6:34 (ESV)

If I was in Jesus’ situation, I would have had one of my many petulant outbursts and bemoaned the fact that I could not find rest, even after doing so much “good” for so many people. Thanks goodness Jesus is Lord and God. He had compassion on the crowd. He put aside His own need for rest and attended to our needs.

It is unlikely that I will consistently get my minimum amount of sleep that I desire. But that is no excuse for me to act out my frustrations when fatigued. I need to continue to look to the Great Shepherd, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to give me the same compassion and understanding for others as He did for His followers.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"Just Meditate!" (Psalms 46:10)

During my early adulthood, I was involved in a religious cult. The self-proclaimed leader held meditation sessions where a group of us would gather around her. “Just meditate,” she would command. So what did I think about during these meditation sessions? Basically nothing. I attempted to clear my mind of all thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I tried to empty myself, be one with the universe. It was all very nebulous and abstract and not infrequently, I would fall asleep. How could I meditate on nothing and everything? The inherent contradictions frustrated me.

Within one year, God, by His mercy and grace, changed my heart and brought me into a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. I vividly recall the first time I prayed as a Christian. It was so different from the meditation sessions. Instead of emptying my mind, I filled it with thoughts of God. I was not one with the universe, I worshipped the Creator of the universe!

Be still, and know that I am God…
Psalms 46:10 (ESV)

We do need time to quiet our minds but not to empty of it of any desires. We need to decrease so that He may increase in our minds and hearts. We need to be quiet so we can hear God speaking to us as He created us to be.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"The markets can remain irrational longer than an investor can remain solvent" (2 Peter 3:9)

The markets can remain irrational longer than an investor can remain solvent.
Attributed to Maynard Keynes

Isn’t it ironic that one the leading economic philosophers and theorists of the 20th century stated a truth that millions of investors already know? Anyone who has ever invested in the stock market has undoubtedly struggled with the decision over whether to hold on to a stock or mutual fund that has declined in value since the initial purchase. Do I sell now and cut my losses or hold on and hope the stock price will recover? The answer, more often than not, is found in the prescient words of Keynes.

There is an analogy to my sins. I can cling to my irrational sins and hope that I will survive long enough so that I “grow out of my sins.” Some therapists insist that with time, I will see the error of my ways and change my behavior and attitude. Perhaps. In my experience, I continued in the same sins or these sins morphed into others. I could wait a lifetime but my sins would not diminish nor my behavior improve.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

God’s patience with me, is only matched by His grace and mercy. I would still be mired in my sins if God had not changed my heart and led me to accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as my Lord and Savior. Once saved, God’s Holy Spirit began to transform my irrational spirit and replace it with the peace of God’s love. He took the initiative to save me. I would have lived my entire life and my irrational sins would still have defeated me in the end.

Thanks be to God for saving me!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Peering Through The Skin (Psalms 19:1)

We can live our lives, oblivious to the complexity of the world around us. But if one takes the time to unravel the mechanisms of life, even a cursory investigation will overwhelm you. Take your skin. It is the largest organ in the body. We know what it looks like on each other. But examine it at the microscopic level and there are ever deepening layers of complexity. There is the stratum corneum, stratum granulosum, stratum malpighii, basal layer, basement membrane...and this is just the epidermis, the most superficial layer of the skin! And within each of these layers, the skin cells become more specialized with intercellular connections and signalling proteins. And what drives all of these processes? The DNA within the nucleus of each cell directs RNA to make specific proteins which can become enzymes, driving the process. And what directs the DNA to do this? It is secondary to complex interactions with the environment and other specialized cells in other parts of the body. And the complexity continues. When we stop and ponder upon the complexity of this life, even a small sliver of it viewed in the skin, we must acknowledge an intelligent Creator.

What changed? The world did not change but we did. We have a greater awareness of the complexity and magnificence of God. Like prayer, we can live our lives and not bother to pray, letting the world pass us by. But if we take time to pray, we become aware of God. We become aware of how He works in our lives and in others. We become aware of how He directs the world and moves events into place.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Psalms 19:1 (ESV)

God created you and everything around. He created you for a purpose, to glorify and praise God. Take the time to examine the complexity and wonder of His creation. He created it for you. He created it to let you know who He is.

He is God alone. There is no other.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"What If I Am Destined For Hell? (Psalms 145:18)

I knew a woman in college who was interested in learning more about Jesus. However, as sincere as her desire was to receive God’s offer of salvation and eternal life, she could never take the final step because she was held back by a horrible thought. “What if I was never destined to be saved? What if I am destined for hell?”

Although I, and many others, tried to explain to her that she was seeking God because He was drawing her to Him. But for many years, she was unable to accept this. Finally by God’s mercy and grace, she was able to accept Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She understood that God is near to all who call upon Him.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalms 145:18 (ESV)

God speaks to everyone. Some readily answer His invitation. But for others, the layers of sins and pride hinder the pure message of God’s invitation from coming through. As believers, we are tasked with presenting the Gospel to all. And we do so with confidence that we are doing God’s Will, since He does not wish anyone should perish.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

From the second we are born, we are sinners destined for hell. It is painful to admit this but once we realize we are completely and utterly helpless to save ourselves from eternal separation from God, this is when we can turn to God, confess our sins and helplessness, repent, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Thanks be to Jesus Christ for dying on the Cross for our sins and being raised from the dead.

Hell does not have to be our eternal destination.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

“Reality is easy. It’s deception that’s the hard work.” (Colossians 3:9-10)

“Reality is easy. It’s deception that’s the hard work.”
Musician Lauryn Hill

This tongue in cheek statement is a kissing cousin to the adage attributed to Mark Twain, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”

It does take more work to deceive others and cover up a lie. Think about how much mental energy and effort is expended, even covering up a little “white lie”. In this hyper-kinetic world we live, a common complaint is lack of energy. If we were honest with others and ourselves, think of how much more energy we would have!

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Colossians 3:9-10 (ESV)

Until we recognize that we are helpless to change our habits, we will continue to lie to others and deceive ourselves. We are helpless by our own efforts and God wants us to see that only by confessing our sins, repenting, and turning to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, will we be able to finally break the cycle of deception and lies.

Deception is hard work. Reality is the easy yoke of Jesus Christ.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The Differential Diagnosis (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

Whenever a physician renders a diagnosis, they must consider a differential diagnosis. Even if the diagnosis is obvious, additional diseases must always be considered. This process is drilled into every medical student and physician in training. One of the classic differential diagnostic categories is acute chest pain in an adult. Obviously, one must always think about a heart attack, or acute myocardial infarction. But there are many other diseases that may mimic a heart attack. These diseases range from diseases in the lungs like a pneumothorax, gastrointestinal diseases like heartburn or GERD, and even skin diseases like shingles.

When physicians approach a differential diagnosis, there are many ways which they may organize their thoughts. Probably the most useful is to list the most serious diseases that need to be first considered. Another method would be to list diseases by organ system. Still another method would be to consider the pathophysiology or biological pathways in the patient, such as infectious, congenital, or cancer. Thinking about all the differential diagnoses requires creativity, honesty, and the ability to go beyond generating a rote list. It is sometimes a painful process since critical diseases may sometimes be missed or pointed out by others to one’s chagrin. But the more the physician does this, the more adept they become at rendering the correct diagnosis and properly treating the patient.

As I pray and study the Bible, I have adopted a similar approach in attempting to understand the nature of my diseases, that is, my sins. I could simply list my sins but to truly understand how certain sins keep recurring in my life, it requires going beyond a simple list and examining the different pathways from which it arises. It also requires critical discernment and separating similar sins from one another.

For example, I struggle with my pride. Certainly, it may arise from desire to be right or recognized. But as I critically examined the reasons, it was clear that it was not just pride.  My temper often masqueraded as pride. My petty jealousies led me to other sins that could be misinterpreted as pride. I had indiscriminately lumped many different sins under the heading of pride. I did not perform an accurate differential diagnosis. Identifying the correct sin is the first step to allow God to heal me.  

...these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:10-11 (ESV)

The Holy Spirit enables me to understand the subtle differences of my sins. It is a differential diagnosis that requires honesty and a desire to be humble before God. Like a physician, the process may be embarrassing and painful when brought to the surface by the Holy Spirit, but once I realize the complexity of my sins, I can turn to the simplicity of asking God to forgive me and transform me into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Praise God!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.