Do You Have Hidden Culprits? by Ann Wayne

Another evening of nausea and severe indigestion. Over-the-counter drugs did little to help the situation.

After four months of this, I decided it was time to pay a visit to the doctor. After twenty questions, she said that I qualified for the five “F’s,” as if I were trying out for a position. Female, over Forty, Fair skinned, Family history and Fa…well, a little extra weight.
After pouncing on a treadmill like a rat to rule out heart disease, an ultrasound showed that I had gall stones. Not life threatening, but life altering. The organ was diseased and had interrupted my healthy lifestyle. Surgery seemed to be the best option.

In a short time, the stones were removed by a skilled surgeon; one who had the knowledge, wisdom and experience to perform the procedure. At last, the culprits were extracted out of my body with just a few tiny incisions. Culprits that had caused so much sickness and inflammation were gone and my body could begin the healing process.

I think sin is like that. When we have something in our lives that is not honoring God, it brings us down so we cannot serve God and be fruitful. The sin keeps us from reaching the capacity of blessings that He has promised. We prolong the process of spiritual fulfillment by continuing our bad habits or allowing our sinful nature to have a stronghold on our lives and those around us. We simply won’t give up our strong wills.

Jesus refers to himself as “the Great Physician.” In Matt. 9:12-13, we read, “But when He heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means, I desire compassion, and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The word used for physician in Greek is iatros, derived from iaomai, which refers to spiritual as well as physical healing. Jesus was undoubtedly using the word “physician” to refer to both the spiritual and physical aspects of healing that He commanded.

True healing begins when we ask God to take control of our lives. It is through this process that God prunes the culprits and refines us to do His work. We are transformed and our vessels are used to glorify God.

Ann’s youngest son, Daniel, just got married. Now all three of her children are married and her daughter is expecting grandchild number three in May. See her personal blog at Conversation Cove.