Popular today among many is what I will call (and possibly other have already done so) the “positive thought/confession” movement. Long story that strain of thought says “whatever you think or feel, whatever your heart says to do, speak it out loud and then go, follow your heart.
I know people who believed this so much that they stopped taking their meds because they “thought themselves” healthy. I’m not saying we are not sometimes over-medicated. Not at all. But there are some meds you just can’t quit cold turkey.
I’ve known people who refused medical treatment because some huckster or some “speak positive thoughts” guru told them to speak themselves well and to not act accordingly was a “an act of unbelief.”
Granted, these are some extreme examples. There are those who need to stop feeding negative images into their brain after they look into the mirror. The “I’m ugly” or “I’m fat” or “I’m worthless” comments need to go. But frankly, there is a lot more money made in cosmetology and plastic surgery for unnecessary procedures than there should be.
What does all this have to do with being a Christ-follower? Many try to apply self-help gobbledygook to lifelong and lasting change. Victory over an addiction or a traumatic event in the past (or the present) will not be overcome by “I think I can, I think I can.” That only works with trains trying to climb mountains. The real transforming approach is this: “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by His victory over them on the cross.” (Col. 2:13-15 NLT)
Real change, real transformation, does not come from thinking positive. Real change comes from allowing God’s Spirit to do His work in you. He makes permanent change. He disarms the enemy.
And I’m positive He will win the battle.
We may not like the fact that we need to be on medications, especially as we get older, but we need to remember that God has given us talented, compassionate doctors whose goal is to help us live with better health. In the end, our faith is crucial both in life and in death; we already know, as you said, who has the ultimate victory.
Blessings, Bill!
I agree Martha. Getting old is fun! 🙂 But rather than seen meds at bad, let’s realize, as you state, that God has given us doctors to help get or stay well.
Bill, to your point, real change comes through the transforming power of the Spirit of God in our lives. Try as we may, we might be able to convince ourselves or change behavior, but the root of the problem still exists… sin… physical decay… spiritual decay…
That said, I think we need to be careful of assuming or relying solely on the medical community to meet our physical healing needs. I know that was not the intent of your post and I know your heart as well. However, as our world continues to fall apart around us, so does the institutions that sit on that world. If I have learned anything over the last several years, it is that we need to be discerning in all aspects of life, especially as it pertains to the medical… and especially when FEAR is used as the primary motivator to accept any new medical innovation. FEAR is not from God and if FEAR is the motivator, then it likely is coming from the enemy.
I’m with you on both counts Ryan. you know, as I stated, that real change comes from within. It cannot be legislated. But I also agree, given the lessons learned from the COVID debacle, that the medical community has “blood on their hands” due to the financial kickbacks and the whole political spectrum. I refuse to live my life in FEAR.
I believe you have to be a advocate for your own health with your doctors, and get second opinions when you need them. I agree at the heart of our sinful nature that only God, can transform our hearts, once we come to Christ. I have been around some addicted people, and I have had the conversation more than once, relying on steps to stay sober, is not going to be a successful solution for life time of change. You have to turn that addiction over to God, allow God to work on transforming your heart. The bottom line to life is that without God, all of your battles are uphill with very short and limited success. When you give your life to God, the changes in your life are not just limited to the physical changes, the real change takes place in transforming your heart, and changing your mind and spirit in line with Gods, and that outcome will continue on with you in eternity.
Well said Gail. We have got to stop with the stop gap measures of meds, groups, etc being the change we need. The change is a transformed heart sometimes working alongside the transformed heart. And yes, the outcome will continue on into eternity.