As a child, I frequently got sick with throat infections. It is possible that it was because the school I attended had a yard with no grass and lots of dirt, which with the wind moved into the air a lot.
The problem is that for some reason of fear, I used to hid from everyone when my infection symptoms started. I always tried to speak normally, although my throat hurt when I said a word. I also tried to hide if I was feeling weak.
But my dad would always notice the change in my voice and would tell my mom to check me out. Indeed, I had a fever of 40 degrees Celsius, my throat was almost closed due to inflammation, and it was already night when we ended up at the hospital emergency room because at that time the pediatrician’s office was already closed. On top of that, I received the scolding of my mother for the worry and for the bad time that I put her through.
The same happens to us in our spiritual life. Unfortunately, it has proliferated in the midst of churches that people who have a struggle with a particular sin are judged. So, we have become religious, that we go to church and tell everyone that we are fine, in victory, even though our spiritual life has declined, sin overwhelms us and we don’t see a quick way out.
Silence didn’t help my cause. The disease worsened without treatment and put me in a more complicated clinical picture for not treating me on time. The fear of what my mother would say and the treatment that would possibly include injections led me to shut up and try to hide the symptoms.
We disguise our depressions, weaknesses, and failures to present a “perfect Christian” that everyone accepts, who can serve in ministries and is not judged for spiritual immaturity.
But if I have learned anything from the Scriptures, it is that when we cover up our sin, we are overwhelmed, consumed, and grieved by the Holy Spirit. We have the example of David, that although he had a heart pleasing to God, covering up his sin affected him deeply.
The church is composed of sinners redeemed only by grace and not by goodnesses, who are undergoing a progressive transformation towards holiness through the Holy Spirit. There are struggles that we cannot overcome without help. Therefore, the Bible tells us that we have gifts to help minister to each other, encourage us, and the love of God to cover a multitude of faults.
The perfect unity of church occurs when we meet without pretense, we break in the presence of God without thinking about what they will think of us. We unite in spirit when we can support each other, pray together for our struggles and weaknesses, and when we have brethren in faith who will be waiting to get up and encourage us not to fall.
When we can approach God by stripping ourselves of all masks and appearances, we permeate into an attitude of humility, and God will glorify himself in our midst.
This will help us grow. Then our leadership roles in the church will bear fruit. So those who feel hurt and seek hope amid this fallen world can come to church by admiring a love so deep that it does not make others fall, but lifts them and brings them closer to the Lord.
It starts with me, goes on with you. We long for a collective spiritual revival in these times, but it begins with humiliation, with presenting ourselves before God with an open face, and having love for our neighbor, not judging them, but praying together, agreeing, that we surrender together before God, and in that way, his name may be glorified.
If I feel that I do not need the prayer of others or the support of others, it is time to surrender my pride in the presence of God. When we come closer to his holiness, we can only see our imperfections and marvel at the wonderful grace poured out of him on me.
To heal our lives in time, we cannot be silent. May God put in us an unconditional love towards others, having Him as a perfect model.
Let us pray to the Lord presenting our lives in an attitude of humility and transparency. May we be ministered to minister others. May his Holy Spirit guide us to see others as ourselves and may we minister and support each other so that together we continue to grow and mature spiritually. That is the unity of the body his Spirit is poured out supernaturally.
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