I have been battling, for years now, health issues and finally
they are starting to become bothersome, and I am in need of doctors, so what did
it do? I sought out medical attention, to help ease the pain.
Many of us, including myself, as I just mentioned, are the same
way with their spiritual health. We come to God when we are in a time of
dire need and there is nothing else we know to do, other than pray. There
are times when situations are so bad that people will even search out God and
learn to know Him through their situation.
These are wonderful times; times to be celebrated, but how
unfortunate it is that we need a horrible situation in our lives to cause us to
look for God.
When you have a death in the family people it will
either increase your faith or your faith will decrease, because of the
many questions we have for God. I understand this also, as I
have had two situations where I asked God where were you when I needed
you. Funny thing is, He was right there. He was using these situations
to teach me, to strengthen me in Him. He was allowing me to see that
even in the worst of situations, I can come to Him for my healing and comfort.
He is a God who wants to meet all of your needs, and can do so
since He created you, your needs and the universe. We are the ones who
don’t allow Him to take care of us, or make it more challenging for us, not for
God, when we don’t surrender to His will and plans.
I have often asked God, especially in the last eight months, why
me God? Why have you called me to work in your kingdom? Why use
me? I am a regular person, with nothing spectacular that makes me stand
out. I am not really fond of reading, or writing for that matter, and
public speaking is not something I have ever desired to do, but yet, I see that
being part of my path. It’s confusing, wondrous and scary all at
the same time.
But when God starts to move in your life and starts to make big
changes to the life you were comfortable living in, you have two ways you can
go. You can either ignore the call that He has put on your life, or you
can do your best to try and submit to the changes He is putting in your path.
Honestly, I am doing my best to submit, but the pain that comes from the changes
is enough to make me want to change my mind... some days.
We see throughout the Bible, Old and New Testament, where God used
the foolish and meek things of the world to confound the wise. He used
the things that no one would ever look at twice or expect to be used by God, to
actually do His work. He takes the people like me, who were broken, hurt,
abused, abandoned and lost, changes them and then uses them to change other
people’s lives, and most importantly glorify His kingdom.
Jesus didn’t come for the righteous; He came for the unrighteous,
to make them righteous. In Matthew eight, after Jesus had just met
Matthew, the tax collector, we see the Pharisees asking His disciples, why does
He, meaning Jesus, always eat with the tax collectors and those who are
sinful? Basically, why is He putting all this effort into people who are
not worth His effort? Or, why isn’t He placing His time and effort in us,
the righteous ones, or the ones that they presumed to be righteous.
The Pharisees were truly bothered by Jesus’ act of kindness to the people, that
they would have thrown away. The people that they have walked over or
around daily, to avoid them, why is He catering to them?
You see the answer in Matthew 8:12 But when Jesus heard
it, He replied, Those who are strong and well (healthy) have no need of a
physician, but those who are weak and sick. (13) Go and learn what this
means: I desire mercy (that is readiness to help those in trouble) and not
sacrifice and sacrificial victims. For I came not to call and invite (to
repentance) the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with
God), but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin).
Jesus says it Himself. Why should I focus my time and efforts
on the ones that already know me and my Father? There are so many that
don’t. Not that Jesus doesn’t love and cherish the people who already
know Him, but he focus cannot be on the ones already found. The shepherd
will leave His flock of 99 to find the one lost, and this is what Jesus is
saying. I am the shepherd and I must find the sheep of my flock that are
lost and missing.
Jesus came to make us righteous and in right standing with God, but
how can He do that if we don’t know Him? We see in the Bible, all over
the New Testament, how Jesus healed people on the spot and some through other
people’s faith. We see that Jesus cares about the ones that are found,
because their faith in Him leads Him to heal them, so the need of the lost is
bigger than the need of the found.
The Pharisees cannot wrap their brains around this idea because
they deem themselves higher than their fellow man. The believe that since
they can recite Bible verses and can repeat stories from the Bible, and are
keeping the laws, that they are better than the people who are not. They
have placed themselves in the role of Judge and Jury, when they have no place
being either. These are the people who cast their stone, while being
guilty of the exact same sin as you.
Every day we are among Pharisees in life and every day we feel the
judgment of eyes watching us. But you see we are the ones that
Jesus came to save and make righteous. We are the ones that Jesus will
use to advance His kingdom, because we know where our source comes from.
When you have the mindset of a Pharisee you are not looking at the
salvation that comes from Jesus you are looking at the laws and rules that have
been set. You believe that because you pray so many hours a day, and keep
all the laws, you are set above your fellow man. How can God use that
person? How can God promote that kind of person to bring people to Him
when they don’t know Him?
Just like you and me, we are not going to go to a doctor unless we
need one, and many people don’t come to Jesus until they need Him. We the
ones that He has saved through His crucifixion are the ones He is relying on to
help the lost. He is empowering us, gifting us and blessing us to show
the world around us that in fact He is the great Healer, He is the Lord and Savior
of your life, and He is exactly what you need.
You might not need a doctor, but you definitely need Jesus.
You need God to focus your life on so that you don’t become a Pharisee.
You need to keep God first in your life, so you can stay on the path and plan
that He has for you. There is a reason and purpose for us all, and it fits
into Gods master plan, and when one person decides to not do their part, God
must reorganize the plan, or force you into the situation where you must
submit.
Jesus said in Matthew 8:13 He has come for the unrighteous of the
world and that includes me and you, but He came to make us righteous.
Maybe you don’t need a doctor, medication, mental health guidance but maybe
your heart is aching. Maybe your mind wanders about what your purpose is
in this life? What are you doing here and why you? I know someone who can answer all those questions, and so many more, and He is looking
for you!
He won’t rest until He finds that one lost sheep, brings you home, and makes you
righteous too!
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