What is the real problem with us and with society? Is it mental health? Is it economics? Is it loneliness? Is it a lack of education or physical health? While all these things are problems, they are only symptoms of the real issue. The root of our struggle is not physical at all; it is spiritual and always has been. The real problem is our separation from God, the source of life!
Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, they realized something they had never felt before. They realized they were naked. Nature seemed to change, and they quickly sought to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. But what was the real issue? Was it a physical issue? Was it mental? Was it an environmental issue? No. Adam and Eve had a spiritual problem, yet they sought a physical solution: "fig leaves."
The real issue was their separation from God. Adam and Eve had disobeyed Him and transgressed His law, resulting in an internal separation. The Spirit of God, who had previously dwelt within them, was gone. The result was emptiness—a nakedness of the soul. They felt naked because the Holy Spirit, who had covered them with the light of God, had departed. Sin causes the Spirit of God to withdraw, and the result is always a nakedness of the soul.
Fig leaves cannot cover sin, nor can they cover our infirmities. Adam and Eve tried to solve a spiritual problem with physical means, and it proved to be a failure. At the approach of God, they fled and hid from His presence. Ever since that day, human beings have attempted to cover spiritual issues with earthly means. Sin leads to separation from God, and that separation leads to all sorts of earthly issues. Mental health struggles, poverty, wars, hatred, and loneliness are all the results of this inward separation.
Like Adam and Eve, we have been deceived into looking solely for earthly solutions. When we commit sins, our mental health is impacted; but instead of going to God for healing, we rely only on the "fig leaf" of therapy. While therapy is good and helpful, it cannot bring a lasting covering on its own. At the approach of conscience, we will still flee. Repentance should go hand in hand with therapy. Repentance from sin is the beginning of true mental healing.
Poverty, political strife, and loneliness are all results of sinful human beings seeking ways to cover their own nakedness, often by taking advantage of one another. Satan is constantly at work to lead us astray, making us think we can find solutions through earthly means alone. His goal is to separate us from God and keep us separated by pointing us toward human solutions. But seeking solutions from humans alone will only leave us more broken and empty.
Friends, our real issue is separation from God, and no human means can solve this. There is only one man who can bridge the gap between us and God: the Man, Jesus Christ. Jesus alone can bring true healing to our souls, and the confession of sin is where the healing process begins. Earthly means can bring temporary relief, but Jesus Christ brings a permanent solution. He will abide in the soul itself and cover our nakedness. Let us come to Jesus and pray for healing and for the Holy Spirit. We will be united with God again and find healing for our souls. Only then will we start to live truly healthy lives, because we have finally found the real solution.
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