Blood Work – The Director’s Cut

Hey Gang,

I got some great feedback from the message series we just wrapped up, entitled ‘Blood Work.’

In message 2, we discussed three things that can make our blood unhealthy and discussed their correlation to things that make us unhealthy spiritually.

Those three things were: Anemia (spiritual weakness, not feeding ourselves), Leukemia (allowing the cancer of sin to take hold), and Hemophelia (the inability to forgive).

There were two more items that didn’t make the cut, and I thought I’d discuss them briefly here. Enjoy.

Virus

Viruses are amazing organisms. More than 5,000 types of virus have been described in detail, although scientists estimate that most types of virus remain undiscovered. Viruses are ubiquitous, as they are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and are the most abundant type of biological entity on the planet. The study of viruses is known as virology, and is a branch of microbiology.

Some viruses just run their course and leave you feeling sick and week. Others can lethal.

So how do you avoid these nasty wasty little enemies? You stay out of unhealthy environments. If you spend all of your time in unhealthy environments, you will become unhealthy. It’s a fact. Even the most fit and health-conscious among us will eventually succumb to virus through continued exposure.

So look around you. Where are you spending most of your time? Is the environment healthy? Does it energize you or drain you? When you leave it, are you encouraged or discouraged? What about the people? Are they healthy or are they sick?

Make wise choices with where you spend your time and who you surround yourself with. Your soul has an immune system, and that immune system has a breaking point.

Don’t push it.

As a caveat, it may go without saying that I do NOT think that Christians should retreat from the world and live in little isolation booths. Some have taken this concept too far and never set foot in a movie theater or go to another party in their life. Just use wisdom. Be in the world but not of it. And balance out the time you spend in unhealthy environments with time spent reviving your soul.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning comes from not taking in enough oxygen and from inhaling too much carbon monoxide. This is bad. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect. So, sometimes you’re being poisoned and you don’t even know it.

Want to check your life for spiritual carbon monoxide poisoning? You need look no further than your iPod, your Netflix queue, your bookshelf and your DVR.

What have you been taking in lately? What are you breathing?

Do you read widely? Are you small minded? Narrow-mindedness makes you unhealthy. Standing water soon turns septic.

Do you only read and associate with those who agree with you? Knock it off!! Pick up a book by someone you won’t agree with. Not to inspire anger or frustration, but so that you might further come to understand and respect the views of others. And maybe even come to a better grasp of what you believe in the process.

Ventilate things a bit. Get some fresh air.

Don’t just watch movies. Study films. Watch what the director does with the camera angles and the lighting. Ask God to show you something true in the lives of the characters. You’d be amazed what you can pick up if you’re paying attention, even from the simplest of films.

So don’t let your brain become a pond. Keep it moving. Breathe in some new stuff and be a student of life. God’s truth is everywhere!

Hasta.