June 18

Jun 18 - Today from Proverbs 18 we look at verse 14
"A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?"

The spirit of a man is actually that part of a man which is the essence of life. God formed man's body out of the earth and then breathed life into the body (Gen. 2:7). Thus man was created in God's image - God is Spirit. In John 6:63 Jesus says, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing." It is the spirit of man that gives animation and life to the body in which he lives. The spirit is not indebted to the body, nor is it to be controlled by the body (flesh). The body is to be under the authority and control of the spirit. Somehow, sin has changes all of that. Sin has made man self-serving and self-centered. Because sin is so sensual, self-centered man focuses on appealing to the senses, thus the physical (flesh) often becomes a greater value than the spiritual.
Today's proverb is practical evidence of this truth, and gives us great insight to Christian living and ministry. The Teacher observes that a person with a healthy spirit and a positive attitude actually fights physical infirmities - even life-threatening diseases. Medical studies have proven this time and again, and medical Doctors share the importance of "keeping your spirits up" in such critical circumstances. "But," the Teacher says, "when the spirit is crushed, where does one find strength then?" As Jesus pointed out, the flesh counts for nothing. The flesh cannot minister to a wounded or crushed spirit. People try it, only to make matters worse. We know these efforts as addictions, eating disorders, and abusive patterns. When one tries to 'heal' their spirit by satisfying fleshly desires, they only further hurt themselves.
As believers, there is only one place we can turn to find healing for a crushed spirit - and that is to the Holy Spirit. We need to learn that - over and over. A crushed spirit is a very complex thing. It comes by way of failed relationships with other people - people wound the spirits of people. A cheating spouse, an abusive parent or other role figure, insensitive peers, or a culture that honors and values qualities which one does not possess. Do you see the common denominator here? The wounding party is always coming from actions and attitudes related to the values of the flesh. A cheating spouse is looking for self-satisfaction or self-worth in a physical act with another. An abusive parent attempts to control (self-will) through improper actions that might subjugate the victim toward obedience. If the abuse isn't directly physical, it almost always alludes to the physical ("You stupid, fat cow! You'll never amount to anything.") Insensitive peers always pick on physical attributes of a beleaguered child; four-eyes (eye glasses), big ears, buck-teeth, skinny, fatty, stinky, acne -- the list is endless. Depending on the temperament of the child and the self-esteem the child is given in the home, any one of these can crush the spirit and wound for life. The same goes for the culture in which a person lives. When cultural values are based on the physical attributes or social levels of people, those who do not measure up are vulnerable to a spiritual crushing every time they venture out into society.
Where do non-believers turn to find healing for their crushed spirit? Without the intervention of the Holy Spirit, most turn to the same things that wounded then, and they become wounders themselves. Some turn to spiritual "things", but if it is not the Holy Spirit, they end up serving demons without even knowing it. So, how do we get them to turn to the Holy Spirit?
"YOU are the temple of the Holy Spirit." (1 Cor. 3:16, 2 Cor. 6:16, Eph. 2:22). We are to be a vessel of the healing power of Christ in the world -- especially to those who are crushed in spirit because they are physically disenfranchised; the widow, the orphan, the sojourner (homeless), the poor, the imprisoned, the abused, the stuck in poverty, the lonely, the physically handicapped, the social outcasts -- the "them". The Jews of Jesus' day had a very defined "our kind" and "them" attitude. Jesus constantly attacked that attitude with both His words and His actions -- and He has called us to follow His example. He never had to go looking for "them". They came looking for Him. They came because He lived what He taught and preached. And when He healed their crushed spirits, He called them to be his witnesses. They will come to the church when we begin to live what we teach and preach. The church is to be a hospital for the spiritually crushed, not a country club for "our kind."
Let's be the church, not forgetting where the guidance and power comes from -- the Holy Spirit.