Serving Among Midlife Singles (SAMS)

The Word of God is “sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:13 NIV)

To understand this verse, think of this division between soul and spirit in this way:

· Soul – Your soul is what you think of as you; it is God’s shape and design of you that makes you a unique individual. There will never be another you.

· Spirit – When you make peace with God, he fills you with the Holy Spirit. Once you were dead to God, disconnected from his fellowship. But, once cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, God gives you a direct connection to him through the Holy Spirit.

You see this Holy Spirit transformation when a chronic alcoholic is changed into a Bible-believing, God-fearing dynamo for God. And you see the Holy Spirit’s influence in you when you begin to think and act differently, when you desire to do God’s will, as opposed to just feeling you have to do God’s will. God changes your “wanter.”

Here’s the thing: God’s Word is able to penetrate between your selfish motives and godly motives, between your selfish thoughts and godly thoughts, and between your selfish attitudes and godly attitudes.

His Word is as delicate and precise as a surgeon skillfully removing a cyst from cartilage. The Great Physician operates with perfection as he slices away our bad attitudes, thoughts, motives – and actions – “laying us open to listen and obey.” (Hebrews 4:13 MSG)

What now?

· Precise surgery – God’s surgery on you is precise, meaning he won’t cut away anything essential to your ability to be who he created you to be or to fulfill your purpose in life. For instance, he may be cutting away your anger, and you think you can’t live without it, but the Creator knows what is truly essential and what is what a “sin-cyst.”

· Pain does not define direction – God’s surgery may be painful, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad or somehow wrong. It’s often painful to let go of the wrong attitudes, motives, or thoughts that we’ve held onto for years.

· Changing “wanter” – Look for signs that God is changing your “wanter” – working within you in such a way that you no longer want to do the wrong thing; instead, you want to do the godly thing.

· Spiritual connection – Next time you hear someone discussing surgery, think about the spiritual surgery God does in your life. Thank him that his surgery doesn’t require health insurance! And remember that your spiritual healing came at great cost to God – from the blood of Jesus Christ. Praise God!

© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
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