Page 18 - eLamdag July 2020

GOD'S CHANGE AGENTS UPDATES
THE MAN WHO WENT TO THE DENTIST
There was a man who had a toothache. He went to the dentist. “Doc,” he said, “please take the pain away.”
The dentist made the man lie down on his chair and open his mouth. “You have a cavity”, the dentist said after a while. The dentist examined his mouth some more, then proceeded to clean his teeth, dry his mouth, and set a filling.
“Wow,” the man said. “It no longer hurts. Thanks, Doc.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” said the dentist. “There’s a lot of things we need to fix with your teeth. You’ll have to come back next weekend.”
“Really, Doc?” the man asked, clearly not wanting to have to come back.
“Really. If we don’t get those things fixed, you’ll have more pain later on,” explained the dentist.
The man agreed to come back. “And in the meantime, be sure to brush your teeth after every meal”.
“Huh?” said the man, who only brushed his teeth when his wife reminded him.
“If you want to keep your teeth healthy, if you want to avoid pain in the future, you will need to discipline yourself to do this.”
The man promised to do so. He brushed his teeth after every meal, then came back to the dentist the next weekend. The dentist did more work on his teeth, and the man kept coming back regularly. Because of all their work together, the man no longer had any toothache....
Our relationship with God is much like going to the dentist. We go to Him because we have a problem. He helps us move away from the sin that’s causing the problem. But He does not stop there - He continues to point out more sinful thoughts and behavior that we need to let go of, so that we can have a healthier spiritual life. He shows us to practice spiritual hygiene - by praying often. And he requires regular spiritual check-up.
Sometimes we don’t like to cooperate with God’s treatment because it would mean letting go of things or relationships that we have become dependent on, that have become our idols.
And sometimes we’re too lazy to practice discipline in praying. But when we cooperate with His healing, God will help us to prepare for a future free of the effects of sinful ways.
You probably brush your teeth regularly...
do you also brush away unloving thoughts, earthly desires, or attachments
that keep you from serving God?
You probably visit your dentist frequently...
when was the last time you asked God to help you see what you need to
change to follow Him more closely?
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OPANAS ENER :YB