After the bypass, each of these people are told that they must change their lifestyle. The heart bypass is like a band aid, it is only a temporary fix. There has to be changes to the diet, if they smoke, it's time to quit, if they drink its time to cut back or stop and it is essential that they exercise and reduce stress.
In other words, the doctors are saying, "Change or die."
One would think that being given this message so clearly would bring about change. It seems that any rational person would realize it's time to change.
It would seem that such a compelling argument would make anyone realize the importance of change. Unfortunately that is not the case.
Out of all of the bypass patients, only 90 percent make the change. They just keep on trucking, living with the same bad habits. In nearly every study, it is shown that two years after surgery, the patients are not making any changes. Instead of choosing health, they choose poor health and death.
Is it possible that change is that hard?
As Christians, we are supposed to change. We are to grow, to make positive changes. Not to stagnate. As Christians, we are encouraged to make positive changes and to grow as we follow the Lord. As we grow, we need to understand and apply three simple principles:
1)My Spiritual Age Does Not Indicate My Spiritual Depth "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again." Hebrews 5:11-12a The author was referring to the order of priests under Melchizedek and its superiority to the order of priests under. His readers had become "slow to learn" either due to spiritual laziness or neglect.
They had plenty of time to grow, but instead they chose not to and found that they wasted precious time. Instead of being teachers of the Word, they still needed teachers to explain the basics to them. The same goes for us. Are we growing, changing?
2) My Spiritual Age Should Indicate My Spiritual Diet "You need milk, not solid food! But solid food is for the mature." Hebrews 14a
The milk of the Word is for the immature while the solid food is for the mature We are not meant to live on milk forever. How is your spiritual diet? Do you study the Bible as part of your daily life? Do you share Christ world and love with others, or only keep it to yourself.
3) My Spiritual Depth Equips Me for Life's Challenges "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5:13-14 One thing that is for sure in life: It's not easy. Life is tough and there are more tough times to come. To help us get through them, we need to gather discernment and practice spiritual maturity.
The Christian life is an adventure, but it's no place for infants. How are you doing with your diet?
The author is publisher of a Christian T-Shirts store and a Christian Jewelry store.
Tags: religion, spirituality, jesus, god, christian, christianity