Healing

Take The Whole Dose

by Terry Barlow
05/05/17
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  I was asking my wife with her nursing background about situations in which patients are admonished to take the whole dose, and she responded that it was often true of antibiotics.  Patients might be pleased enough with immediate relief of symptoms from some infection or from another ailment that they neglect taking the rest of the medication.  What can sometimes happen is that the infection or ailment returns in force and with a vengeance.  In reality it had never left, only its immediate symptoms and pain had left temporarily. 
   Perhaps it can be like that in the spirit sometimes with followers of Jesus.  We gain short term relief from struggles or trials we've had and we want to relax too long or too soon, or take a lengthy spiritual vacation.  The Apostle John in his Epistle (1 John 4, v.12-18)speaks of being perfected in love. I like how the Amplified Bible puts it:  "let love run its full course."  Maturing believers are HIS inheritance, remember. (Ephesians 1, v18)  That is, we are to allow love to come to is full expression in our lives, and not be satisfied with a mere partial expression, as gratifying as it may be. This means that as we continue to mature we will be expressing God's love in ways we never have before, though, of course, many basic expressions of it will remain the same.  As it was written of Jesus, "having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." (John 13, v.1)  For that we will need the whole dose and the full counsel of the Word of God, not only our favorite parts.  Not only the parts that are easy for us to hear, but even the parts that are more difficult to hear.  Not only the parts that are more interesting to read, but even the tedious parts that don't seem to have as much to offer us, and that can sneak up on us!