Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Pulling a Tooth and Jesus
It was a two year process with a hurting tooth. It was a hairline crack and a little piece would chip off. My Dentist, David Hilliard, would smooth it out and I would wait for the next episode. Sometimes the gum would abscess. Painful. We did a root canal. It helped for a while. Then the crown on that tooth cracked. Evidently my tooth has had a hard life.
It was on the visit to try and repair the broken crown that David gave me the bad news. The tooth was not going to survive. I could keep dealing with pain and frustration, but it would never really get better. Or I let him pull it. He explained that I would then get a permanent bridge. It would look like a tooth and function just like my tooth had.
So we did. And David was right. Pain gone. I could actually chew on that side of my mouth without worrying. We are in the process of putting in the bridge.
And I thought about sin, addictions, and Jesus.
Maybe you have been there with that sin that just will not go away. Maybe you have let a hard life keep you in pain and frustration. You do better for a while but then you slip back into the same old patterns. You try harder. You take some significant steps but it does not go away.
Until someone speaks truth into your life. It is time for radical surgery. Do whatever it takes to get the sin out of your life. It may mean breaking off unhealthy relationships or changing some unhealthy patterns. Maybe it means changing jobs. Or in my case -- a career.
Surrendering to God and trusting him to heal you. Listening to spiritual advisers. Seeing that life can be different and better. Closer to what God intended your life to be.
Like pulling a tooth. Healing. And getting a new "tooth". Better life.
So thanks God for letting my tooth remind me of your power to heal and restore. Thanks for pulling out the sin in my life. And healing me. Help us speak truth into the lives around us that are broken and hurting, even in our church family. Heal us thru Jesus. Use radical surgery when needed.
It was on the visit to try and repair the broken crown that David gave me the bad news. The tooth was not going to survive. I could keep dealing with pain and frustration, but it would never really get better. Or I let him pull it. He explained that I would then get a permanent bridge. It would look like a tooth and function just like my tooth had.
So we did. And David was right. Pain gone. I could actually chew on that side of my mouth without worrying. We are in the process of putting in the bridge.
And I thought about sin, addictions, and Jesus.
Maybe you have been there with that sin that just will not go away. Maybe you have let a hard life keep you in pain and frustration. You do better for a while but then you slip back into the same old patterns. You try harder. You take some significant steps but it does not go away.
Until someone speaks truth into your life. It is time for radical surgery. Do whatever it takes to get the sin out of your life. It may mean breaking off unhealthy relationships or changing some unhealthy patterns. Maybe it means changing jobs. Or in my case -- a career.
Surrendering to God and trusting him to heal you. Listening to spiritual advisers. Seeing that life can be different and better. Closer to what God intended your life to be.
Like pulling a tooth. Healing. And getting a new "tooth". Better life.
So thanks God for letting my tooth remind me of your power to heal and restore. Thanks for pulling out the sin in my life. And healing me. Help us speak truth into the lives around us that are broken and hurting, even in our church family. Heal us thru Jesus. Use radical surgery when needed.
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Hello Bro. Steve. I am a Pastor from Mumbai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honored to get connected with you as well as know you as the one who loves the Lord. I have thoroughly enjoyed your post o n Pulling a tooth and Jesus. Your example of tooth is so fitting and appealing which brings out the truth in a profound way. I am blessed to go through it. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 38 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have your young grown up children to come to Mumbai with their friends to work with us during their vacation time. I am sure they will have a life changing experience. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you, your family and friends. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede.
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