I have been enjoying my occupational therapy as I regain mobility in my hand and wrist from the surgery I had to remove the flesh-eating bacteria.The area all around my scar is hyper-sensitive.The slightest brush of my sleeve on the scar near my wrist sends an intense sensation through the whole area.My nerves are all on “high alert” to physical touch.My therapist needs to do a lot of massaging on and around my scar to break-up the scar tissue, and she has recently instructed that I desensitize the area.In order to desensitize it I need to take different fabrics, like bath towels, t-shirts, or flannels, and repeatedly go over the scar and hyper-sensitive areas. The goal is that over time my tissue will become indifferent to touch and unaware of abrasiveness.
In the case of my arm, being desensitized is a good thing. However, I find that as a culture we are increasingly being exposed to things that are desensitizing our souls, which has a harmful impact upon as individuals as well as a society. This desensitizing is occurring due to our exposure to explicit sex and graphic violence on TV, movies, the internet, in video games, and even in the news.
For example, in the news coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings, we were repeatedly shown images of blood, people missing body parts and the severely injured.These pictures are not necessary for good news reporting. Reading about the Gosnell murder trial and the atrocities that were committed by this “doctor” and his staff, one must conclude that these heinous acts were due to the perpetrators becoming increasingly desensitized to the reality that they were murdering human beings.
The “hyper-sensitive” areas of our hearts that would usually be horrified to see a puddle of blood on the news, will over time become visually desensitized to such horror.Like my scar, the more times you repeatedly go over an area in your heart, the more indifferent our attitudes can become towards it.
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold”- Matthew 24:12
Notice that the verse says will “grow” cold.This assumes that those with cold hearts in the end times which Jesus is speaking of in this verse did not begin with cold hearts; their hearts became cold over time due to the increase in wickedness.The escalation in violent wickedness against innocent civilians in our country is becoming more commonplace; therefore, so are the vile images of the destruction.We must guard our hearts.Matthew 24 says, the love of most will grow cold, not all.We have the power through the Holy Spirit to stand firm, to not become indifferent to the barrage of tragic images; but instead to fill ourselves with the source of all love through spending time in God’s Word and in His presence.
Is there anything holding you back from becoming sensitive to the Holy Spirit?
Written by Jamie Shaver