Get to the Root!

Matthew 3:10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire.

When you have a headache, you may take an aspirin or Advil. You may have come to expect that drug to "cure" your headache. However, the truth is it only masks the pain in your head, which by the way, is simply a symptom. The definition of a symptom is something that indicates the presence of a bodily disorder. Hmm, maybe you've never thought about it much, but the headache isn't a "disease" it's only a symptom of something else going on in your body. Through that pain your body may be trying to tell you any number of things - eat something, you're hungry; get some sleep, you are tired; take a break from the computer, your eyes need a rest; relax, you are stressed. The one thing I can confidently tell you it is not saying is that you have an "Advil deficiency!"

In order to change or improve any health issue you must address the root cause, not just deal with the symptom you are experiencing. Jesus shows us this principle. In Mark 11:20-21 we read the passage where Jesus had seen a fig tree full of leaves which indicated that it should also have figs. When it did not, He cursed the tree and upon seeing the tree the next day, the disciples saw that it had "withered from the roots." Jesus didn't just deal with the leaves or the stem, He went directly to the source of the problem - the roots. Romans 11:16, 17 tells us the root supports the plant and if the root is holy the rest of the tree is holy. A plant is only as healthy as its root system.

The same is true for us. Unless the root cause of a disease is addressed and corrected, all the drugs in the world will only mask pain or discomfort and manage the disease. The pain may be gone temporarily, but the root cause, the disease, is still there. Drugs simply treat symptoms. As Dr. Darren R. Weissman explains so eloquently in his excellent book, The Power of Infinite Love and Gratitude, by masking symptoms with drugs we are silencing our bodies' only method of communication!

Our bodies are magnificent creations of Almighty God. Let's not just drug them, but listen to them. Don't just look for the quick fix. God built into our bodies His own infinite wisdom and healing power, if we just take the time to listen.