Spiritual Vertigo

 

I’ve been battling vertigo this week. I’ve had it for many years. It’s usually just an inconvenience but every once in a while it flares up and the dizziness is so bad that I can’t do anything. Vertigo is typically caused by an inner ear problem. The inner ears control our sense of balance. They send messages to the brain, allowing it to know what position the head is in and whether it is moving or not. When one ear is working and the other is not, the brain gets conflicting messages. At first, the brain can’t figure out which is the correct message, leading to severe dizziness. Eventually the brain figures out what is going on and only pays attention to the good ear and ignores the bad ear.

 

We are all at risk for spiritual vertigo. We are constantly getting messages from the world, which often are not in alignment with God’s message. If we try to pay attention to both messages, we will become spiritually dizzy. The dizziness will interfere with our spiritual walk if it is bad enough. The remedy is simple - Ignore anything that is in conflict with God’s message.

 

Jesus cautions us, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Paul adds, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2).

 

Let’s filter out worldly influences and allow God alone to fill our minds and hearts.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.