FLESH EATING BACTERIA
Did you hear about the guy who went fishing in Galveston and contracted the flesh-eating bacteria and may have his leg amputated? (this, among other things, is why I don't fish...complete and total lack of patience being another, but I digress) How can a guy innocently wade out into the bay, throw in a line, catch a few fish...and have his leg amputated? That's crazy! It makes no sense. How can something as simple and innocent as fishing cause parts of your body to be eaten away and destroyed?
I guess the other question is, why does this draw such attention in the physical realm, but not in the spiritual realm. The exact same thing happens every week in the church, but it never makes the news. Yesterday, I had a really sweet, dear man come by my office to tell me he was leaving the church. This guy is quite the exception. Rarely does anyone tell me. They usually just amputate themselves from the body and disappear into the night, sometimes telling others down the line in less than flattering terms.
Why was he leaving? Because of something I had said. That part is pretty typical. Was it a bad thing...evil thing...theologically incorrect thing? No, just an innocent remark I made that got lodged in his head and he took offense to. Solomon said, it's the "little foxes that spoil the vineyard". Not the big things, but the small. That's typical. Like the small bacteria that somehow entered this man's body when he was just fishing, so a spiritual bacteria had done the same. And, the ramifications can be just as devastating.
Remember, we have an enemy whose strategy is to steal, kill and destroy...and that means YOU! He desperately wants to destroy the body of Christ, the Church. Part of his plan includes you. Be aware. Be vigilant. Guard yourself. And when it does hit, don't ignore it like most. Do what this man did. Confront it. Don't be a spiritual amputee.
I guess the other question is, why does this draw such attention in the physical realm, but not in the spiritual realm. The exact same thing happens every week in the church, but it never makes the news. Yesterday, I had a really sweet, dear man come by my office to tell me he was leaving the church. This guy is quite the exception. Rarely does anyone tell me. They usually just amputate themselves from the body and disappear into the night, sometimes telling others down the line in less than flattering terms.
Why was he leaving? Because of something I had said. That part is pretty typical. Was it a bad thing...evil thing...theologically incorrect thing? No, just an innocent remark I made that got lodged in his head and he took offense to. Solomon said, it's the "little foxes that spoil the vineyard". Not the big things, but the small. That's typical. Like the small bacteria that somehow entered this man's body when he was just fishing, so a spiritual bacteria had done the same. And, the ramifications can be just as devastating.
Remember, we have an enemy whose strategy is to steal, kill and destroy...and that means YOU! He desperately wants to destroy the body of Christ, the Church. Part of his plan includes you. Be aware. Be vigilant. Guard yourself. And when it does hit, don't ignore it like most. Do what this man did. Confront it. Don't be a spiritual amputee.
Comments
Post a Comment