Surgical Healing

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." - John 15:1-3

I am definitely a worrier.

It's not that I choose or desire to be this way, because inwardly I have no want or reason to worry at all. However, despite random coping skills (that can possibly be found online, of which I don't recommend using at all), I still suffer from high anxiety stemming from my job, family life and personal conflicts that go on in my mind all at once.

Have you ever felt that at times, even with having your faith placed in God, you find yourself like me - in a panic, anxious, and worked up? One thing that I've had to come to terms with recently that I was reminded of by my older brother was this: How big is your God? We as Christians find it very easy to fall into the trap of creating this idealistic yet false concept of God in our minds - a counterfeit and cheap replacement for One so irreplaceable and unable to be duplicated. The ideologies of the culture we find ourselves immersed in, plus the constant influence of those in our inner nucleus changes us, whether we like it or not.

Most often, we've found it hard to endure trials and hardships because we have been infatuated with the wrong "god", an idolized counterfeit god. It's the god we look to when things are going well, our life being filled with nothing but roses, sunshine and happiness. Here's the catch and issue: our false god gives us happiness, when the One True God gives us unspeakable joy that goes beyond any temporal satisfaction that life could ever bring. The false god we lean on provides security for the moment, but leaves us lacking the necessary trials to produce spiritual maturity. The true issue is a matter of the heart - who is placed in power, the True & Living God, or our emotions, desires and worries? Matt Chandler wrote:

"When God wounds, He wounds like a surgeon, not like a criminal."

Although we worry about the hard times, those hard times are not only necessary, but a given in living and serving God. The "wounds" that God inflicts us hurts for the moment but are necessary in order for us to produce fruit (John 15:1-2). So, even in the midst of what seems like craziness all around you, remember that God is a good God, and most importantly, He's sovereign over every aspect of our lives and situations.

Place your trust in Him today.

SDG