Friday, February 20, 2009

Blisters

My fingers glided over my harp strings as I attempted to learn a new song. I was making good progress when I began noticing that my fingers were growing sore. Determined to practice a certain length of time, I ignored the warning signs and continued practicing. Soon, my ring finger on each hand had a slight burning sensation. Glancing down, I noticed that each sported a rather large blood blister--the most painful kind. See these lovely blisters caused my sense of determination to wane, and I gave in, and discontinued my practicing for the day.

Then, today, as I again practiced on the not yet healed blisters (and they still hurt), I was reminded of the vicious cycle of blisters and the spiritual analogy they illustrate. Eventually, as I continue practicing and playing on these blisters and sore fingers, my fingertips will grow calloused, hardened, and insensitive to the friction caused by the continued plucking of the harp strings--thus allowing me to play as long as I want without the painful swelling filled with liquid that prevents me from enjoying my playing.

Just as my fingers can become hardened through constant rubbing or friction, so my heart can become calloused to the Holy Spirit when I fail to obey His promptings. As I ignore the searching and promptings of God's Spirit, friction results, and my heart begins to callous. Soon, my heart becomes hardened and I no longer hear the Spirit's voice nor heed His warnings. I also will lose my capacity to feel and understand the hurts or needs of others, and I am more likely to hurt them through my words and/or actions.

A callus can be softened and the skin's sensitivity can be restored by removing the cause of friction and the layers of softened skin. For example, not playing the harp for a month because you're planning a wedding (and then for another few weeks because you're recovering from a wedding) sufficiently removes the cause of friction. Thus, my fingers have lost their calluses, and are once again sensitive (something I'm trying to change...because unlike my heart, my fingers do need those calluses).

In the same way my calloused heart can become sensitive again by confessing sin, and immediately obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit. So, I am asking myself, "What blisters do I have? What wrong attitudes or thoughts do I have that I feel guilty about?" When I feel guilt because of a wrong attitude, that is a spiritual blister--a warning sign from the Lord that if I don't remove the source of friction, my heart will soon fail to heed Him altogether.

May the Lord help me always to detect spiritual blisters--even before they have fully formed--so that I may more aptly follow Him and heed His voice.

Anyway, that was just a spiritual insight I thought I'd give for the day. :-)

Blessings,
Melody

1 comment:

Kate said...

Hi Melody!
Thanks for your comment on our blog! I didn't realize that you were still blogging regularly after the courtship story! It will be fun to keep up to date on your life this way! :)
Love,
Kate