Dental Work

You are at the dentist having some fillings put in. First, the dentist administers an anaesthetic which numbs your mouth. You know that something is going on in your mouth, but your senses are dulled.

Our misdeeds (sins) are like that. Sin acts as a numbing agent to our spirit. It anaesthetizes the heart to it's own reality. We revel in the immediate euphoria of lust, deception, selfishness, pride and vengeance, and before the zing wears off, we often find ourselves seeking our next "high," our souls becoming drenched with the darkness of sin.

Every time we involve ourselves in sin, we know we are doing something wrong, but the full physical, emotional, and spiritual reality doesn't quite register.

To expand on the dental analogy, the numbness begins to wear off a while after the procedure, and we begin to feel a strange, fuzzy sensation all around the lips and tongue which isn't very pleasant. We often feel some leftover pain which the numbness had been covering. In reality, these are healthy signs that the nerves are returning to their normal condition. Repentance from sin is like that: it is only after one truly repents (turns away from their misdeeds) that we may fully see our sin the way our Creator, God sees it.

After one repents of sin, it is very typical to experience a period of guilt and shame. As in the dental scene, this is a wonderful sign that your heart is no longer being numbed to sin, and that it is finally experiencing the bitter taste of unrighteousness! In fact, this is why our Heavenly Father gave us these feelings as guilt, fear and shame, so that-- just like pain does for our bodies-- they would act as signals to danger.

The memories of our weaknesses and failings will most likely always be a part of our mental framework, but our focus should not be on the sinful past, which Christ has laid fully to rest on the cross for all those who believe in Him, but on God's grace and mercy, and the hope of brighter start! Reach out to Him today.

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Contributed by Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2003 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of "Ecstatic Living Ecstatic Loving: How to have more peace and joy in marriage, and life in general by walking in harmony with God," and "Son Salutations: A refreshing collection of modern inspirations for those who seek God each day." For more information, visit her web page at www.angelfire.com/mi/melschurr