Lessons Learned from Sickness Part 41: A Tea Bag Experience
By Pastor Ronny Luces
Have you experienced how it was to dip your finger in boiling water accidentally? How did it feel?
We don’t like the burning sensation and the resulting blisters that we get from that unfortunate incident. But do you know that not all hot water situations are bad?
We need to experience burns and blisters to learn some lessons – like a teabag.
I’m sure every one of us has seen teabags (my sister sent us a unique tea package while I was in my hospital bed).
You put the teabag into a cup, glass, or mug, adding boiling water. Hot water permeates the tea bag as the teabag sits there, and the tea’s flavor seeps into the water.
The longer the bag sits in the water, the more flavor is drawn out and mixed into the water.
Without boiling water, a tea bag cannot produce flavor. The hot water is merely the catalyst for drawing out the taste of the teabag.
Our Christian lives are like that in some respects. God allows hot water experiences to surround us and draw out the flavor of our hearts.
As we find ourselves in difficult or strange situations, God reveals the true desires of our hearts. He turns our hearts from that of dry and unattractive tea leaves into a savory drink.
This experience will teach us that God wants us to be transformed from being un-Christ-like into a Christ-like humble servants.
The goal of this biblical concept of change is for us to become Christ-like humble servants to be used by God to accomplish His will, and our part is the surrender of our body, mind, and will, while God’s part is justification and sanctification.
We are placed in hot water situations to draw out the flavors in our lives.
This is not the action of a cruel God. Instead, this is the action of a just God who loves us and wants to give us abundant life.
In this Good Friday celebration, may we appreciate God’s love and faithfulness in our lives?
He puts us in hot water situations so that we will be transformed and purified.
Posted on FB: Friday, 3 April 2015 at 1:29 PM
About the Author
Rev. Ronny Luces was the Minister for Administration and Community Service of the Jaro Evangelical Church (JEC), Iloilo City, Philipines. He and his wife, Martha have been with JEC’s ministry since 1994.
Pastor Ronny graduated from Central Philippine University College of Theology in 1985 and was pastor of several Baptist churches.
In January 2015, after tests and two long hospital confinements, Pastor Ronny got the word he had lung cancer. He underwent chemotherapy.
Praying for healing and going through all the medical processes, Pastor Ronny wrote his reflections “Lessons Learned from My Sickness.” In July 2015, he passed away.
May Pastor Ronny’s series of reflections and meditations strengthen your hope and faith as you go through your own life’s battles.
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