Need A Band-Aid?

Many of you may not have heard someone referred to as a "beat-nick" and those who have may decide I am giving away my age if I mention an old "beat-nick" joke. Well, here it goes anyway: What did the beat-nick say when he watched a man fall from the top of a building and looked down at the splattered speck on the sidewalk below? "Like man, he needs a band-aid."

Too often people are looking for a quick fix to something that is really serious. Sometimes there is an attempt to merely cover up the "wound" rather than deal with it in a way that can actually bring healing. To fix some "mistakes" (a worldly term for "sins") our society offers the cover-up of new labels, or drugs to combat the consequences, or surgery, or ignores it as something not in need of being dealt with, etc. In this way our world offers "band-aids" to fix things which actually require radical surgery of a spiritual kind.

Jeremiah has been called the "weeping prophet". Because of the sad, sinful condition of God's people, he continually had to warn them of their doom if they did not repent. At a time when the people of Judah were living wickedly -- even setting up idols in God's Temple -- God spoke though Jeremiah about His priests and prophets who were guilty of putting "band-aids" on the people when what was really needed was open heart surgery. Note part of the message proclaimed by Jeremiah where we read. . .

"(11) THEY HAVE HEALED THE WOUND OF MY PEOPLE LIGHTLY, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. (12) Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the LORD." ( Jeremiah 8:11-12 ESV)

The New Living Translation reads, "(11) They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound. . . ." [NLT © 2007, Tyndale House Publishers]

Let's not just accept the quick temporary fixes of our culture. God wants us to understand that sin is serious stuff. Sin separates us from Him. Sin cost Jesus His life on the cross. Sin does not bring us the peace God desires us to enjoy. Let us live right for God not because if we don't we might get caught, or we might get hurt, or might get a disease, etc., but because it is the right thing to do. Let's allow God to do some radical surgery on our heart to make us into the new Creation ( 2 Corinthians 5:17) He enables us to be.

Have a great day LIVING FOR HIM!
Carl

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[This focus was originally sent 05/27/1998 (Edited some with passage changed to ESV)]

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