swine-flu

With the spread of H1N1 (aka swine flu), lots of people are worried about catching diseases from others.  And they should worry–because people are carriers!

Everybody’s carrying something, not just physically, but spiritually too!  Scripture teaches that you can catch spiritually transmitted diseases from people.

“Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old ‘yeast’ by removing this wicked person from among you.” (1 Cor 5:6-7, NLT)

People can be contagious carriers without ever realizing it.  In fact, some of the most spiritually infected people have no clue that they are sick…or that they are harming others.

Here’s what to watch for in order to avoid spiritually transmitted diseases…

1.  An uncovered mouth ~ everyone knows that an uncovered mouth is the portal to serious sickness.  All too often, people open their mouths and spew division, suspicion, and negativity on you.  If you put up with it, it’ll make you sick.  When dealing with verbally infected Christians,  Scripture cautions us to keep our distance.

2.  Unwashed hands ~ infectious germs spread rapidly through unclean hands.  Some people never deal with their dirt, and thereby infect others with the junk they never dealt with.  If you get too close, their dirt will become yours.  When it comes to unrepentant Christians, Scripture says to quarantine those who WILL NOT come clean.

3.  Inconsiderate attitude ~ some people never think about how their sickness affects others.  These people bring their runny-nosed kids to school.  They sit by you all day, and later admit they had the flu all night long. Everyone gets sick, but not everyone cares about not spreading their sickness. When it comes to infected Christians, Scripture tells us to give them a dose of loving truth.

God doesn’t want us to live like germophobes, seeking to isolate ourselves in a bacteria-free world.  He wants us to care about and protect the health of His community.

As for me…I’m gonna cover my mouth, keep my hands clean, and be mindful of the affect I’m having on others.

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Read about how one person created a pandemic of spiritual sickness affecting a whole community here ~ read Joshua 7.

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