Blood Work

I had to go in for some blood work today, the fasting kind that checks for everything from cholesterol to thyroxin.  A week from now, when I have a Doctor’s appointment, he will give me the full report, good news and bad, and how to “fix” any problem areas.  Wouldn’t it be nice to employ that same kind of test to our spiritual lives?  A simple procedure that would show me were my deficiencies and excesses are.  The trained analyst would sit me down, and peering over his glasses say, “Well, Mrs. Zerrusen, it appears that your compassion, and scripture understanding counts are within the normal limits, but your application levels are far too low.”  My reply goes something like this, “Do you have a pill for that?”   Yes, that would be the easiest route, but it’s not God’s prescription for my inadequacy.  God wants us to experience perfect divine health, which includes loving people, knowing His word, and the hard part…applying it in our personal ministry.  Just as diet, and exercise work together for physical well being, so too love and action need to be employed for our kingdom life.  There is no quick fix for spiritual malaise, but it can be, and must be restored. “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” James 2:26