No Band-Aids Allowed

If the situation hadn’t been so serious, it would have been funny. I was in the orthopedic doctor’s office with my then elementary-aged daughter, getting ready to have a cast put on her broken arm. While we were waiting, a little kindergarten boy came in who had just hurt his arm on the playground at recess. He seemed to be okay, talking to his mother telling her what had happened. All of that changed when he was informed the doctor would be putting a cast on his arm. The previously calm boy started raising his voice.

He assured them there was nothing seriously wrong with his arm and firmly demanded, “Just put a Star Wars Band-Aid on it!!!” He was certain that would make everything alright. My daughter and I shared amused glances at his comment but knew a bandage would not fix his injury.

We can smile at the little boy’s comment, but how often do we tell God something similar? Are there times God asks us to deal with a serious issue in our lives, and we determine a simple bandage will cover it up and we won’t have to deal with it? Of course, that doesn’t fix the real problem, it just helps us avoid it awhile longer. However, just like a broken arm, left untreated, that problem could cause more serious issues down the road.

Hebrews 12:10-11 is a great reminder, “For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for a moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Verse 10 starts by comparing an earthly father’s discipline to God’s. God has our best interests in mind when He lovingly corrects us, even if it doesn't feel good at the time.

As God reveals areas in our lives that are broken, it proves much better to yield immediately to the Great Physician, allowing Him to work. It may be painful for a season, but much less so than if we let that brokenness fester and impact additional areas in our lives. If we surrender quickly and completely (no band-aids allowed), we will be stronger and better equipped to grow and develop. God does not relish our pain; however, He knows that discomfort is sometimes necessary to correct an issue before it gets further out of hand.

If God is dealing with an area of your life that needs healing or correction, surrender to His discipline. Ask Him what you need to do to be free of that brokenness, hurt, bitterness, anger, jealousy, frustration, fear or unforgiveness. He will carefully and lovingly tend to you and place you on a path of recovery that will result in completeness and growth. The momentary pain will be worth the freedom and victory you will experience in the end.