January 2019 has arrived. All the signs are present. Thick clouds have hidden the sun for three days. The Christmas decorations are starting to bug me. We’ve set up our treadmill. We’ve purchased some baskets for organizing a closet. And today, I’m joined at home by a sick husband and a sick son. But, with the arrival of January, I’m facing an unusual challenge this year. In Strange Days Indeed, I mentioned an upcoming back surgery to remove a spinal tumor. This month, we will finally get to The Root of the Problem.
When I wrote in June about identifying the cause of pain and then in October about Paying Attention to the Symptoms, I still thought that if I was diligent to do my back exercises, maintain proper posture when sitting, walking, and standing, avoid soft furniture and crossing my legs, never bend at the waist to pick something up from the floor, and replace our mattress, the pain in my back and leg would disappear. What I didn’t know was that there is something inside of me that needs to come out before the healing will take place. And, in fact, if it is not removed, things will likely get worse for me.
So, I begin this new year with resolve to go through the surgery and recovery, hoping to achieve relief from pain, better sleep, and increased strength.
Perhaps some of you have made New Year’s resolutions, deciding to exercise more or eat less, hoping to stop smoking or get organized. We desire to make ourselves and our lives better, don’t we? We’re aware that we’re not the people that we want to be. Maybe we should stay in touch with family and friends better, stop lying, work on our marriage, perhaps get back to church.
I see a parallel between my current health issue and my spiritual health record. I’ve been trying for over two years to fix myself, having no idea that it was impossible to do until an MRI revealed the tumor inside. Years ago, I thought I was a pretty good person, at least in comparison to some people around me. I didn’t drink or smoke or steal or swear. I worked hard at school and then in my office job. But there were things in my life that I was ashamed of, and I was wracked with anxiety at times. New Year’s resolutions to read the Bible or somehow be a better person didn’t stick. I hadn’t grasped the truth that there was something inside of me that needed to be dealt with.
While it may seem too good to be true, it is possible to become a new person. It is possible to step out of the darkness and into the light and to be filled with hope for the future. But the root of our problems must be properly diagnosed. A few years after his half-brother, Jesus, left the earth, James described our situation and prescribed the remedy in a letter to God’s people. He explained that we need to submit ourselves to God, confessing the sin that is in us and entering into peace with God through his Son Jesus Christ. James give us the bad news first, pointing out that those who choose to be friends of the world are not just ignoring God, but are enemies of God. He follows with the prescription, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.”
Even if we make and keep wonderful resolutions, without God, our hearts are dark, for “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.” (Romans 3:23) But God, in his love and compassion has made a way for us to have a new heart, one that is healed and full of the light of the Holy Spirit. That is what is meant by “born again.” And when we believe in Jesus as savior and Lord, he pours his Holy Spirit into our hearts and we cross over from death to life.
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)
Perfect analogy! Well said!