It’s important not just to treat the symptoms of life, but to also understand the original problem. And there’s much healing and freedom that comes from addressing these deep wounds. But simply overcoming these problems and returning back to a state of “health” still misses the mark when we don’t also understand the divine intent and holy idea of our lives to begin with.
For example, of course we’d want to do more than just take pain medication for a broken leg. True relief comes by resetting the bone and allowing it to heal properly. But our legs are still meant for more than to merely not be broken. Our legs are meant to give us the freedom to walk and run and play. And knowing this original intent is needed to help us pursue the true good and not settle for mere healing, however great this might be otherwise.
And this is true throughout our lives.
For instance, sin has distorted much of how we understand ourselves as men and sexual beings. And certainly, we must do our due diligence to heal and restore what has been broken. To be sure, it does little good to merely complain about the toxic symptoms we see without also addressing the deeper wounds that have led to this.
At the same time, we must consider why God created masculinity to begin with, and what he had in mind when he also gifted us with our sexual nature. What were his holy ideas in crafting us the way he did?
Understanding this original goodness doesn’t negate the healing journey we must still undergo. But it does broaden our vision to consider much more. And we risk shortchanging our excellence when we don’t seek to know and recover God’s holy ideas for us.
In the end, our story doesn’t start with original sin but rather with original glory. And it’s only through remembering God’s holy ideas for us that we can faithfully reflect the true glory and honor he has given us to reveal.
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