Time to smile!

Today I just returned from six-month check up at the dentist office. And man do I have great news. The dentist, after a thorough cleaning and examination, declared I am cavity free! We all know what that means. I don’t have to return later for some painful invasive procedure: a cavity filled with drills and shots, a painful tooth extraction, an expensive bridge or crown.

It struck me that my visit to the dentist was similar in many ways to my spiritual life. If I am faithful to do the things that contribute to my dental health (brushing, flossing, fluoride tablets, refusing to eat things that contribute to tooth decay, etc.) then I don’t have to worry about tooth decay. Doesn’t mean that I might have small problems, but it does mean that it is likely that I will not have significant tooth decay.

Similarly, if I do the things that contribute to my spiritual health (my relationship with God through His Word and prayer, my relationship with others in a redemptive community, refusing to participate in things that contribute to soul decay, etc.) then I don’t have to have anxiety about soul decay.

Let’s be clear, I don’t brush and floss my teeth so that I can get a happy face sticker from the dentist. Although I am rather undisciplined in certain arenas of my life, I am fairly disciplined when it comes to dental health. The reason for my new-found discipline is simple. I want to miss the fear, the pain, and the costs that comes with having the tooth decay! I don’t want to have any part of pretending it doesn’t hurt, paying for something I could’ve avoided, or not being able to smile for any reason.

Can you imagine not being able to smile?

It seems I might be able to miss the fear, the pain, and the costs that comes with having the soul decay as well. If I would stop pretending that spiritual emptiness and sinful convictions doesn’t hurt, or if I would count the costs that I incur due to my spiritual apathy, I might discover a new-found discipline as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine not being able to reflect God’s glory with your bright white beaming soul?

I think the best news that the gospel gives us is that Jesus is like the spiritual Dentist. Jesus examines our souls and He sees the decay. He knows the devastating effects of sinful soul rot and cannot live with the results. He cleans our rotting souls like only He can. And He declares the best news of all, “Man have I got good news! Your soul is clean! Now get back to smiling!”