Romans 8:13 – For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, I had determined that I would not take any chemo treatments. I had witnessed several people that had cancer who took the chemo and/or radiation therapy but did not survive. Because of this, I saw chemo as a sure death sentence. Consequently, my family was not on board with my decision. I went to the appointment set up to discuss the process with full intent to only hear what they had to say. My decision had not changed. I would leave with my foot set to decline. The female attendant started telling me about the procedure. About the drugs and what they are designed to do. How long it would take and how I would feel. What it would do to my body and how my body would react. The entire process. I sat there quietly thinking to myself, I know what’s gonna happen. The chemo would end up killing me. I listened to her telling me that the drugs would kill all the blood cells in my body and I thought, see I knew it. They want to kill me. She then said that I would have to return in three days to be injected with drugs to boost me back. I finally asked her, “so in plain English you are saying you are going to basically kill me, then revive me in a few days”. She confirmed with a yes. I then asked, “why would I allow anyone to do that to me”? She replied, “so you can live”!
One night after that the Lord asked me a question in my dream. He said “do you trust me? I’m either Lord of all, or I’m not Lord at all. I woke with a whole different perspective. It was then I decided to go through with the chemo therapy.
This made me remember that the scriptures say something similar. That we have to mortify our flesh so that our Spirit man can live. Just as cancer cells and healthy cells cannot coexist in the same body, neither can a sinful nature of the flesh coexist with the righteous nature of the Spirit man. One has to die for the other to live. If the cancer cells had not bee killed, my body would have faltered and I would have died. As hard as it was to endure, I can stand as a living witness of God’s love and faithfulness to me. The same applies to our Spirit. It will be a hard process to go through to get rid of a lifetime of fleshly sins. But it will be worth it to inherit a righteous life that ends in eternity with our Creator and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To me, that is worth dying for.
Father God, You allow us the life lessons that show us the way back to you. The road is not easy, but it will be worth it in the end. Thank you for loving us enough that You gave Your life for us. Help us to do the same for You