Overcoming Sin: My Foot Hurts
The plantar Fasciitis that I appear to have inherited, is giving me such grief.
I limp around on my toes but find no relief. The sharp stabbing pain feels like lightning striking up my heel. My calf muscles tighten even more at both the discomfort and the protest of my shifting weight that now expects my legs to work harder and I can never seem to stretch them out enough to bring any comfort.
The prognosis is no cure. I can buy a bundle of different miracle devices in the hope for some relief. I can invest in expensive so my feet can find some comfort with their high arches and despite the knife sensation running through my heel with every step.
Honestly, it all makes me short tempered and frustrated. I start to think my kids are out to get me, making me run errands up and down the staircase. If I sit, I find relief, If I stand up it strikes hard, and I hobble and drag my dead foot behind me, trying to be a martyr for whatever cause made me stand up. I can blame my genetics, my weight, my lack of exercise, my cheap shoes, the hard floors, but none of it buys back the time needed to remedy the current situation.
What does this have to do with overcoming sin? Well, believe it or not, my Plantar Fasciitis has taught me a lot about our spiritual sin experience.
Sin is still a very real part of our lives. Much like my current condition, we can blame sin on our genetics, or family history. Nature and nurture are both blamed for the condition we leave our hearts in.
“This was how I was raised...”,
“I've always thought like this…”
“My behavior is culturally acceptable in our family.”
But in our heart, we know deep down that the sin-action is slowly killing my soul. The agony and sharp pain of the sin makes us yelp the first time.
“Why did I do that?”
That first time -- maybe first few times -- we are deeply apologetic. But in time we start ignoring the lightning pain and we place our burdens on another part of our body to make it appear we are not limping. Maybe we dress smarter, try to lose weight, all to ignore our limp, our toes curled up in shame and guilt.
But an outward solution isn't the answer to an inward pain.
Jesus kindly says:
“Come to Me, all of you who work and have heavy loads. I will give you rest. Follow My teachings and learn from Me. I am gentle and do not have pride. You will have rest for your souls. For My way of carrying a load is easy and My load is not heavy.” (Matthew 11:28 NLV)
There is no condemnation in the grace and forgiveness of Jesus.
Yet, we still try to buy the remedy to fix the pain ourselves. Instead, we delve deeper into the sin, we don’t name it out loud, we don’t confess it to others, and we certainly don't come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. Even though the bible clearly states we should.
“Tell your sins to each other. And pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer from the heart of a man right with God has much power.” (James 5:16 NLV)
Our healing would come if we did like the bible says. “Confess your sins one to another.” If we had honest conversations and safe discipleship, if mentors and leaders had room and space to hear the struggles and sin that binds us. We would find grace, forgiveness, and comfort. God promises to remember our sin no more.
But instead, we keep our sin quiet. And our spirit and hearts get heavy. We perceive others are against us. Sin clouds our judgment. It spoils friendships, marriages, parenting, and relationships. Yet if we were quick to ask forgiveness and quick to settle offense, if we gave grace and second chances, if we came to God first…how complete our healing would be.
Being true and honest with Father God, asking for forgiveness, confessing our sins, knowing we all fall short of God's perfection, except for Jesus, is the only true way to battle sin in your life. Jesus can forgive our sins; he is the remedy to our aches and pain. He has overcome evil and forgives us instantly.
If I can circle back to my chronic condition, this pain in my foot required me to humble myself and ask God to heal me. My pride-sin wants to work it out myself, find my own cure, ignore the pain, hobble along. What it reveals is my stubborn pride and independence, and my irrationality in refusing to ask anyone for help or confess when I am doing life tough. I’m prideful, and insecure that I might be weak and less then.
But I am mistaken. I am wrong. I too have sin that needs confessing. I too need to get on my knees and pray for forgiveness and ask for my healing. Believing that he is a good God who both forgives and heals and that I too am a candidate in Jesus' eyes for perfect love.
My plantar fasciitis is healing. It hasn't been instant. When the pain shoots up I say a thank you prayer, “Thank you God that you are healer, that you are healing my foot.”
I dutifully do my stretches and wear the correct shoes. I am not perfect. But I continue to return to God the father and know that it is faith in Him that brings about true healing.
When I sin I come to Father God. I say another prayer.
“Please forgive me I have sinned I have said/done/thought/lost my temper… Thank you for giving us Jesus who died for our sins who forgives us and restores us once more to intimacy with you. I receive Grace and try again to live a life full of the Holy Spirit. I am not perfect. I continue to return to God the Father and know that it is faith in Jesus that is his remedy for my sin that brings forgiveness.”
My Prayer for you would be that you would find healing and forgiveness for the aches in your heart. That you wouldn't delay in seeking forgiveness but come straight to Jesus knowing fully that Jesus' death on the cross has paid for our sins and that God your father delights in you and delights to be your healing.