I’ve battled shingles off and on for over two years now. If you’ve ever had them, further explanation is unnecessary. For those of you celebrating reprieve from said nemesis, I pray you understand the gift you’ve been given. Recent weeks have seen another flair up and this past Monday I reached a tipping point. I stepped out of the shower with my skin screaming. SOMETHING! I needed something! Some kind of relief; even if it’s just temporary. Suddenly, I remembered a tube of “High Potency Pain Relieving Cream” in the closet (my doctor had recommended it a long time ago). Desperate beyond words, I quickly located the tube and removed the cap. I placed a generous portion on my skin and almost immediately regretted my decision. In a panic, I grabbed the tube and read the instructions for application: DO NOT USE ON WOUNDED OR OPEN SKIN. Reading further I found: DO NOT USE IF ALLERGIC TO CHILI PEPPERS. What in the world?! With each passing minute my regret escalated. My skin had touched the surface of the sun and I was in orbit.
It took most of the day for the pain to completely subside. The constant reminder suddenly turned into a biblical lesson. Follow me here.
How many times are we found doing one of the following: 1) grabbing a quick daily devotional with a cute little story to help us relate, OR 2) seeing a meme or hearing someone say something that sounds theological but not checking scripture for ourselves, OR 3) taking a favorite verse to throw at every situation without truly understanding the story or context it was given in. The list goes on. Misapplication can cause us as much (or more) pain as we’re already experiencing.
Some of the verses that quickly come to mind might be familiar to you. I’ve pondered Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Philippians 4:13, Matthew 7:7, and Mark 10:27.
Jeremiah is a prime example: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope”. We throw this verse around at graduations. We use it when someone is experiencing some type of trial. You can probably think of other situations. But how many actually know the story of Jeremiah when this verse was presented? Here’s a quick summary: Once again, the Israelites (God’s people) were living in exile. Like every other time, it’s due to disobedience, rebellion, sin; all the things. They’ve been told to plan on a long stay. So they need to build houses, grow food,
have families, and generally pursue the welfare of all. This time in exile was to draw them back to God, bring repentance, and remind them of God’s promises. These words were given to those who followed God (albeit a constantly twisting and turning path). And we find that they also are reminded in verses 13-14 that this is tied to seeking Him with all their heart. God is lavish in what He gives. But over and over we see that there are consequences to our lack of obedience. It would be wholly wrong to expect God to give us blessed lives as we’re continuing to walk our own path and ignore His stipulations.
Next let’s look at Philippians 4:13 which says, “I can do all things through him who strengthen me”. This is a great section in Paul’s writing. There are three prevailing themes in Philippians: becoming like Christ, joy, and contentment (not being anxious). It’s not wrong to say that God is capable of miracles and therefore God could hlep us to do anything. But this is much richer and deeper. When I’m tempted to be discontented in my home (which has 3 1/2 bathrooms), or the vehicle I drive (which has a heated leather steering wheel), or my job (which is with some of the finest people I know and 4 minutes from my house), or the clothes I wear (which hang in a huge double closet), or any number of other things, because I rely on the promises, faithfulness, and goodness of God, I find my contentment. Maybe I’m envious of a friend taking another exotic vacation. I need to refocus and be content in Jesus. You see where I’m going with this. It isn’t really about accomplishing great feats by worldly standards. This isn’t about what I can do at all. This is about what God does in and through us when we find our joy and contentment in Him. Like Paul, whether in abundance or need, I can do all things because of Jesus.
Instruction and proper application is vital. I can assure you, I learned that on Monday. Knowing what the ultimate manual says should be at the top of our list. Find out for yourself. Don’t even take my word for it. You’ll be amazed