By: Jessica Huber

 

   Recently my dad  had his knee replaced. If you have ever experienced a procedure like that or have known someone who has, it’s quit a recovery process. The wound is rather large. When I first saw his knee it was swollen and wrapped with bandages to cover his staples, yes staples. It’s quite a sight, I have to admit. So you may be surprised to know that they start rehab right away. While you are still hooked to tubes they first have you stand a little and shift your weight around, gradually working up to more movement. You are assisted with a walker and a physical therapist of course.

After my dad was able to go home, he was visited by nurses and and therapists. When he had his staples removed they noticed that there was still an area that had not sealed shut. It still looked pretty scary. They informed him that he was healing from the inside out. His nurse put a few butterfly bandages and assured him she would keep a good eye on it.

Thinking of this, immediately  my thoughts went to our walk with The Lord. In a way we can look at this Journey as Rehab. The moment we accept JESUS as our Lord and Savior the recovery process begins. True, the scriptures say we are now New In Christ the old is gone and the new has come, but that doesn’t mean we are ready to jump from the hospital bed and enter a marathon. It is absolutely a journey that requires time and assistance. We first have JESUS who we can consider the Doctor of all doctors who gives a prescription of the Word. Then we have an entire team in which the Holy Spirit works through. The Church, our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, they are all the assistance needed to help support a stable walk.

The surface does not always show the entire picture. Sometimes we may have areas on the outside that look perfectly fine and you would never know that the inside may actually have a long road to recovery. Other times it may be the case like my dad’s, looking a bit rough on the outside but there is Healing already going on within.
God truly knows the depths of our being and He is the only one who can determine the plan of procedure.

2 Corinthians 5:16 talks about no longer recognizing others according to the flesh.
This is basically taking on the eyes of Jesus.
This brings me to another conversation I had with my dad. He now receives his therapy at the hospital. Just the other day he mentioned another man who is also receiving therapy for his knee. My dad was feeling a little discouraged because this other man was already walking all around the room with ease. My dad is still very sore and although he has shown a lot of progress, his walk is nowhere near as steady as this other man’s walk. I said to my dad, “did you consider that he may not have had the same procedure?” “Or maybe there are other factors such as age or weight?” “Or maybe we are just all different and some heal quicker than others?”

Our spiritual lives are very much the same.
We all heal in different ways. Just because we are Now New Creations in Christ, it does not mean our scars are not visible. It doesn’t mean that we all heal at the same pace. Our injuries are not all the same!
Some of our past hurts are warn on our sleeve while others are hidden deep down, taking a little longer to come to the surface.
We can be so thankful that we have a Personal God who knows and understands our differences.

I Am a New Creation In Christ and I Am Still very much receiving daily therapy. If I neglect to receive it, I see that my spiritual body gets stiff. I’m in need of that constant movement, that constant oiling of the Holy Spirit. It penetrates deep down inside my joints and allows me to press on and walk this life with Christ.

We are not to look at others according to the flesh, because we do not know what God is personally doing in their lives. We are not to compare ourselves or judge others. It’s important to consider the stages of the healing process, God may be working with someone at a pace that He knows is best for them. Maybe you know someone who is just in that first stage of movement, you might be tempted to to think they should be further along. remember rehabilitation starts even when wounds are still fresh, this person is being pushed to move and shift, consider that this change can be painful. Even after a period of time we have areas that need stretched and exercised, this can be quite a work out. Let this be a time to exercise ourselves in compassion rather than  frustration. Maybe the scars still look a little rough but we can Trust That God has a plan of rehabilitation and he’s working from the inside out.

Maybe you are that man walking swiftly around the room or maybe you are the guy still using a walker, maybe you have just gotten out of the hospital bed, or maybe you are still considering the surgery altogether. I want you to know that wherever you are, Christ Is With You! I want you to know that you have purpose and God sees you as a finished work from beginning to the end.
Know this, that he wants us to look at each other in the same way that he looks at us.
Let’s remember that we all have to start somewhere, and that we are all in different stages within our healing process. Let’s trust our loved ones in The Doctors care and act alongside not as a hindrance but as the assistant that God would want us to be within this process.
Be Encouraged and Give Encouragement!
Have Patience with yourself and With others in their recovery time.

It is my hope that God Blesses you with this message today.

 

Verses to reflect on

2 Corinthians 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

 

2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Philippians 3:14-17
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.