We Need Healing

 

"Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed." Hebrews 12:12 NIV

The Father knows that we can be weakened emotionally from the battles we face, from the hardships we endure, from the discipline we embrace. He knows that the bodies we live in are frail and easily prone to pain, disease, and infirmity. "We have this treasure (the glory of God) in jars of clay." (2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV). A clay jar is very fragile and easily broken as are our bodies. The Father, having created us, knows this and strengthens us with His very Spirit. He also gave us, in Hebrews, several ways that we can "strengthen" ourselves and make level paths on which to walk.

• "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone; and to be holy" (v. 14). It’s interesting that the scripture doesn’t say to make sure that our society or nation is holy or that we should tell everyone else what to do or how to live. It says "make every effort to live in peace with everyone." I think about the craziness in our country right now and how silence might be the most effective weapon we have to lead to peace. It’s so easy to get baited on social media and try to argue one’s position for or against the many issues that are being batted about. But, in the end, all that matters is that people are saved. They will be more likely to turn to the Lord if His Church is making every effort to be peaceable and to live holy lives.

• "See to it that . . . no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (v. 15). The best weapon against bitterness is forgiveness. When we live in a state of constant forgiveness, we refuse to allow ourselves to become bitter. We know that the people around us will let us down, will offend us, may even seek to harm us. That’s the nature of the human condition. By forgiving—as our Lord did—we take power over bitterness, not allowing it to grow and defile us.

• "See that no one is sexually immoral or godless" (v. 16). This admonition isn’t for us to police those who are unbelievers. They may or may not choose to be sexually immoral, but that’s not our concern. Our concern for the lost only and always is salvation. But the admonition for sexual purity is for those within the Church. Sex for believers is restricted to a husband and wife within marriage because the marriage bed is the example, on earth, of God’s love for us. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NIV says: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

By doing these three things, we create an environment where we can heal emotionally and spiritually. Everyone needs healing. When we live at peace, when we live holy, when we constantly forgive, and when we stay sexually pure, we will heal. It’s time to lay our sins, our bitterness, our anger, and our lusts at the foot of the Cross and trust our Savior to heal and strengthen us.

© 2017 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.