Many years ago the Christian group DC Talk had a song entitled Jesus Freak. Well you know what? Some might call me a Jesus freak too, and I’m totally okay with it! Because of Jesus, my life has changed drastically – and I’m giddy with excitement!
Quite frankly, one of my favorite things to do with people is talk about just how great Jesus is, and all that God’s done in our lives. And the Bible? I love it! Because the Bible has the answers to everything we need – provided we take the time to read it, meditate on it, and do what it says:
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people…
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT (emphasis mine).
That’s why when I hear of struggling Christian brothers and sisters turning to secular means before digging into the God-inspired Word to help them cope with a crisis it just breaks my heart…
Last July I wrote about a woman who had years ago lost her teenage son in a horrific automobile accident (How Can You Even THINK You Can Make It Without God?). She was thinking of starting a support group for parents who had lost children. A mutual friend had told me about her, and I was anxious to connect and see if I might help her.
But she didn’t want “God” to be involved in the support group! Nope, that wasn’t for me.
Interestingly enough, a few years later I was approached by a gal I had been in Bible studies with, who stated that she and another lady wanted to start a “mourn” Bible study class, and wanted to know if Gary and I wanted to help them. It turned out the one gal had recently lost her parents, the other woman had recently lost her husband, and we had lost kids (as well as parents). Pretty much covered the spectrum.
These 2 gals were getting ready to leave and meet with a Christian woman who had put together seminars, as well as a 5-week study, on mourning and grief. They asked for prayer and said they’d connect with us when they got back.
I was jazzed, and when they returned they gave us the videos to review.
The first one we watched was – well, okay – but the second one bothered me immensely. Because the focus was: Me, Me, Me – what “I” need to do to get better; steps “I” need to take; guidelines “I” need to follow.
I finally couldn’t take it anymore, and turned to Gary and asked, Where is God in all this? I hadn’t heard anything about “His” comfort or “His” love – but only what people needed to do personally to get better. All I was hearing were “self” plans. Quite frankly it made me want to puke…
We forced ourselves to finish watching the videos, and afterwards I told Gary I just couldn’t do it. He agreed.
The next day we had lunch with the lady who had lost her husband, and we had been praying as to how to let her know that we hated the series, as they had been so excited about going to meet her.
We needn’t have worried – she hadn’t liked them either!
Now before some of you start coming down on me by saying that there are a lot of good secular counselors and programs, let me just say that I agree with you. God has given us many good health-care professionals who are not Christian, that are trained to help us when we need it.
So my point?
We must turn to God first, rather than our convenient, ever-present friend “Google.” God’s ways are not our own, and only He truly knows what we should be doing in our times of crisis and pain. He may very well connect you with a secular caring professional for treatment, and if that’s what He has planned for you, then do it!
However when you take God totally out of the equation, you are missing out on the true healing of your soul that only He can provide:
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people restored? [Because Zion no longer enjoyed the presence of the Great physician!]
Jeremiah 9:22 Amplified (emphasis mine).
In conclusion: Go ahead – be a Jesus freak! Let our loving Savior guide you, and He will make sure that you get to the right place and see the right people.
And now I need to get off my soap-box until next time…
The God Of All Comfort 