Nougat 30

Have you ever been a victim of ‘allergy season’ – when pollen, freshly cut grass, perfume/scented soaps, even cigarette butts all conspire to ‘get’ you? I’m sure you guessed that I’ve been down that road before and was it misery! After the itching, scratching and other symptoms subsided and the meds kicked in, I became a new creature. And I was struck by a thought related to today’s Holy Nougat

““What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”” ‭‭John‬ ‭3:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So I’ve had challenges with my sinuses for years. Most times it’s manageable and I simply ignore the issues: scratchy ear: well, there’s Q-tips for that; runny nose: I get non-fuzzy tissues; and of course, I brush my teeth more frequently to avoid killing people with halitosis issues.

And I occasionally take meds to deal with it. But not until things get uber-horrible and I feel like death rolled over. At those times, I don’t hesitate to take the meds, because at that point it’s my lifeline. By then, I know that I need meds and so do the meds.

When I take the meds, I’m usually ‘out of it’ for a bit. Generally I’m not loopy, just sleepy. But sleep usually fixes what ails me. And since I’m on medication, I’m in deep sleep mode, almost as one dead. But when I’m awake I’m as good as new, all symptoms gone, until a fresh attack comes my way.

The irony is, allergy season is like our sin nature. Sin is always around. Not all coming at once, but consistent as ever. If you’re like me with the sinuses; you might have thought – “I got this; I am on top of things.” And so we ignore the signs and the negative impact it’s having on our nature. We even find things to cover up the impact of our sin, or so we think.

However

Many times we address the symptoms, not the sin. And so our sins continue to grow and fester unchecked. Until, the system exposes us completely – for sin can and will exact payment from us – no matter our age, class, gender, ability, or nationality. And in that moment we die; not always literally; but when sinfulness overwhelm us; we are as ones dead (the wages of sin … remember what Romans 6:23a says?

But thanks be to God, Jesus offers the antidote: eternal life for all who believe. We have to chose to ‘take our medicine’. Jesus is the meds we need! Yesterday today and for all time. Jesus can get us past the symptoms to address the real issue: Sin.

Sometimes our problem persists; like our allergies. It could be that there’s stuff we haven’t dealt with; for it’s all covered up. It could be that there’s more being done in us than we can see as Christ transforms us. But we are born again, by God’s Spirit.

Do we get it now?

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May all we seek be found in Christ