Recently I noticed an inconspicuous, faintly visible black spot in the palm of my friend’s hand. Upon enquiry, I learned that the spot was actually the tip of a sharpened pencil that had somehow broken off in her hand that she hadn’t bothered to remove. “Why didn’t you take it out?” I enquired, puzzled. “I tried to a few times, but I soon realized that I’d have to dig too deep and it would make my hand bleed, so I left it.” In my head, shedding a few drops of blood was an okay trade off, but for her the thought of pain outweighed the benefit of having a foreign-object-free hand.
Of course that got me thinking, ‘Isn’t that how we are as human beings?’ Unfortunately, the human dilemma is that we are often more satisfied with suffering the discomfort of an intruding thorn than bearing the pain of having it extracted. For some inconceivable reason, the value of getting free is clouded by the thought of the struggle involved.
I’ve been in waiting rooms where I’ve watched in awe as children who have a phobia of going to the doctor’s office react in sheer fright and panic at the sight of a doctor’s approach. Forget the fact that that child is suffering from a swollen leg, or eyes that have been bruised purple by a near fatal mishap at the playground, or even a broken arm that is in urgent need of attention; no matter how great the injury, the thought of being touched and examined by a doctor with pointy instruments and a white lab coat sends them shrieking in overwhelming dread.
It’s not that we don’t want to be free, but it’s the possible strain in the process that we’d rather avoid. We relish the idea of being richer, thinner, better, freer, holier, happier, healthier, stronger, and the list goes on and on and on. But even though we relish the thought of becoming our better selves, we sometimes dread the thought of sacrificing a few drops of figurative blood in order to get there. I’ve met people who are dying inside because of a toxic relationship they have found themselves in, but who, instead of walking away, remain. They stay, not because they necessarily want to, but because they are afraid of what it may cost to walk away.
Today, I’d like to encourage someone with the word of God. The Bible says that God is a fair trader, more than gracious. When He does an exchange it is always for the better, never for the worse. Beauty He gives for ashes, light for darkness, joy for sadness, and life for death, always. Therefore, you can let go of that thing – that spot in your hand, that relationship that threatens your well-being, that stubborn emotional instability, that sadness, even that complacency that squints defiantly at your destiny. Let it go. Give it up. Surrender it to Jesus. Yes, it might hurt at first as He extracts the grunge and the gangrene that has settled in, but soon the initial pangs of withdrawal will yield to feelings of tremendous freedom. Today, know that there is greater to be gained from surrender to Christ, than there is to be lost.
Scripture of the Day: “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” - (Matthew 11:28)
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