I have been thinking about what life was like prior to and after being diagnosed with cancer. In our case, I had no pain or other indication that anything was wrong - it was found in a routine check up. I was feeling great, and had no idea that a hidden killer - in my case, an aggressive and fast-growing tumor - was in my body.
The treatment has sometimes seemed harder to deal with than the illness. A double mastectomy with reconstruction - and I've done well, but it was not exactly minor surgery. Chemo and hair loss. I am so thankful that I have had manageable side effects, but I told
Tony Boyd that you have to have a pretty decent self-image to keep moving ahead - "getting better" can take a toll!! Treatment is definitely more painful, short-term, than what I experienced while the tumor was in my body. But if left untreated, it would have spread and led to pain and death.
The same can be said for lots of hidden killers, whether relational, physical or spiritual. We know that we have a problem with anger or addiction or spending or diabetes or something as "simple" as gossiping or being a workaholic. It's there, but we don't feel any pain in its early stages, so we don't do anything to address it. What we don't realize is that it is fast-growing and aggressive and could ultimately kill us or kill our relationships, if left untreated.
Sometimes the treatment IS PAINFUL. It's not easy to seek help or to say we have a problem. But if we try to avoid the temporary pain, we will end up with permanent damage.
God can be trusted to walk with us through the "treatment" - I can say that with authority. God will redeem the pain and use it for His Glory. Don't be afraid to confront the hidden killers!
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