Flu Shots

Scriptures: ”A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” (Galatians 5:9)

Recently, cold and flu have been rampaging. Both of my sons got it, one after another, coughing and sneezing. Now, my wife is not feeling well, either. I look around and find that people in my office, some to the left of me and some to the right of me, are sick, too. It’s everywhere!

I am thankful that I am still doing well now. I think it might have something to do with the flu shot I got last year. With that flu shot, my immune system was strengthened and became better in defeating the attacks from the viruses and bacteria. It is precisely in these times of suffering that we realize just how important our physical health is. We only wish we realize sooner than later!

I think, in many ways, our spiritual health is the same. There are all kinds of viruses and infections all around us, liberalism, humanism, post-modernism, and many more, trying to influence our world views and value systems. Some of them stemmed out of biblical teachings, only to derail at some point in time. Others are flat out against the teachings of bible. Like it or not, they are out there and, if not careful, we are prone to accept their world views without realizing it.

And, just like our physical health, prevention is always the best measure. So, what would be a good spiritual “Flu Shot”? I think a daily dose of bible study and quiet time before our Lord will be what we need. When it comes to bible study, I think accurate interpretation is key to a true understanding of this book we call the Word of God.

So often I find people come to bible with preconceived notion of what to look for. As a result, they put a context of their own around the text they read and they can really come up with some peculiar interpretations of bible verses that are so far out in the left field that I can’t even see with a telescope. People always want the easy way out. Instead of spending time to research on the context of the passage they are reading, historical context, cultural context, linguistic / grammatical context, author and audience context, the textual context, and others, they just put their personal context as the context of the passage. To me, this is equivalent to putting our words into God’s mouth. I am sure this is why there are so many strange and unbiblical teachings out there, some of them later turned into cultic teachings.

For our spiritual health, we need to be sensitive to the teachings of God. But what did God teach us in the pages of bible? Well, I think it’s only reasonable to allow bible to speak for itself. I don’t believe we can benefit spiritually from reading bible if we don’t interpret the passages in their proper contexts. We will not know how to apply the teachings of God unless we know what God’s teachings are.

Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105) The word of God is powerful and capable of guiding us through all storms in life, provided that our understanding of it is truthful. Only when we truly understand what God wants to tell us can we be equipped to steer our lives away from sin and into His riches and glory.

Let’s not take our bible studies, personal or congregational, lightly for our lives depend on it. Just as Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) His words are the best “Flu Shots” anyone can get for spiritual health. Let’s humble before Him and be submissive to His words so we will not be “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14)

Prayer Requests:
For those seeking understanding of God’s words

Prayer:
Our gracious Lord, thank You for the blessings of knowing You and Your words. Help us to be truthful and faithful in our responses to Your teachings and equip us with wisdom and discernments so we can be effective vessels of Your grace and faithful stewards of Your truth. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!