As you may already know, I am a physical therapist and work in skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The typical patient I treat is someone who has been hospitalized with illness or injury and deemed not yet safe to return home. My job, along with the occupational and speech therapists, is to increase their independence so they may go back to their lives as soon as possible. This job is often made difficult by the patients, themselves. When a person becomes ill or depressed (or just tends to be lazy, in general), staying in bed becomes the norm for them and they become very resistant to being anywhere but there. Much of our treatment, then, becomes focused on education regarding the importance of out of bed activity to increase their strength and endurance in order to allow for a successful discharge. I often explain it like this; if you participate in therapy and are out of bed for a few hours a day but stay in bed for over 20 hours, you drastically reduce any benefit you received from the activity, as well as substantially increase your recovery time. The same can be said of the spiritual life.
Romans 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
In January 2021, I wrote a blog titled, “All In” which addressed the importance of how we spend our time in relation to being “all in” for Jesus Christ. In fact, every waking moment is supposed to be lived for Him and His glory.
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
If, instead, we spend the majority of our time with the world (TV, books, Internet), we are proving that we are not fully devoted to the Lord and, in effect, are impeding our own transformation (sanctification) and opting, rather, to conform to the world. We can further examine ourselves by answering the following questions: What do we spend our time watching and reading? How does it affect the way we think and what we talk about during the day? Do we merely spare a few minutes in the morning for a quick Bible read in order to check it off our to do list, so we then can get back to what we really want to be doing?
Mark 4:23-25 (Amplified) “’If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.’ Then He said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear. By your own standard of measurement [that is, to the extent that you study spiritual truth and apply godly wisdom] it will be measured to you [and you will be given even greater ability to respond]—and more will be given to you besides. For whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a yearning for truth], even what he has will be taken away from him.’”
As therapists, we encourage and educate our patients to make healthy decisions in order to increase their functional independence and return home- but, in the end, it is their body and their life and they must make their own choices. The same can be said of God, Pastors, believing friends and family with regard to us. They can all provide spiritual guidance and encourage us to live righteously in order to grow and glorify our Lord and Savior but, in the end, it is our life and we are the ones who must choose to obey and live as commanded, or not.
So, will we choose to spend our time “in bed” with the world, becoming weak and of little use for the cause of Christ; or will we choose to strengthen our spiritual “muscles”, becoming strong and useful in order to fight the good fight of the faith?
1 Timothy 6:11-12 “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
May we choose God, His commands, His will, and get out of the “bed” we are sharing with the world!
Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,”
1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’”
P.S. It is going to “feel” better and be easier to continue living in our status quo. We must, however, remember that how we feel is of little importance, as our life is neither about us nor for us- it is about and for glorifying our Creator and Savior.
1 Corinthians 6:20 “for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
Love in Christ,
Monica Ledford