Pain In The Neck

I have struggled with neck issues for past 15+ years. It all stemmed from a car accident way back in the late 1990s when I was part of a four car rear-end accident. It wasn’t until two weeks after the accident that I started to have pain and discomfort. 

Today, if I stretch wrong, sneeze hard or tense up it causes my neck to flare up. I have had this pain for the past few days this week and it really limits what I am able to do and interferes with everyday life. That got me thinking about how choices, both past and present, have an effect on our lives.

We make choices every day. Whether it is a choice about where to have lunch or which route to take to work. We all make these seemingly automatic decisions without issue. The choices I am referring to today are the ones that can have a negative effect on our lives either now or in the future.

Some people think that when they become a Christian they are saved from the consequences of their past actions and choices. The truth is we are saved from the penalty of that sin but we still may have to suffer the physical consequences of our choices. Parts of our bodies are ruined from years of alcohol or drug abuse.

You may turn your life around and quit drinking but you could still suffer from the effects of a damaged liver. Being sexually active outside of marriage may cause diseases that take years to rear their ugly head. Being a compulsive liar causes someone to tell lie after lie just to keep a story straight. It is possible to run into a person your lie has damaged many years later.

So, much like whiplash the effects of these choices can linger. The difference as a Christian is we are forgiven. And if we have to experience pain because of our past choices we can learn through those instances. We grow, we are refined and we can help others through those times. Regardless of the discomfort, our God is good!

Pastor Jason Pugh