Show you teeth! Blog written by Matthew Morris (Dentist)
We are pretty good at diagnosing ourselves for various problems such as a cough or hay-fever. This thought was based on a treatment plan that you may have if you went to a doctor or dentist for a problem or pain. Using the structure of a dental examination, I would like us to examine ourselves.
The structure of a dental examination is as follows:
Presenting Complaint |
What is the problem and history of the type of pain e.g. toothache |
Examination |
Physically assess inside the mouth and around head and neck |
Special Investigations |
looking into the problem further e.g. x-rays This can help give the most accurate diagnosis and identify something we may have missed during the examination |
Diagnosis |
Definition of the problem |
Treatment Plan |
Steps for how to best manage the patient's problem |
Follow Up |
Any follow up steps required including recall appointments to try and eliminate this problem occurring again |
Using the same structure, we will begin to examine ourselves…
“In this world nothing can be certain except death and taxes.”
Presenting complaint
We are all expected to die at some point. There are many famous quotes about this problem! Death is a theme that is highlighted in the Bible as the end to life. An example of this is found in the following passage:
“For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.”
Examination
The next part is the examination of ourselves. Let’s take time as our unit of measure. How do we spend our time? Is it with helping ourselves, our loved ones, others? How do we come across to others?
If someone had to write one sentence about you or me - encompassing all of my or your life so far - I wonder what would be written? Using Jesus as the perfect example, the majority of his life, from his youth up to his baptism, is summarised in one verse…
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
We too need to do likewise. There are various other examples of faithful people; Daniel (Book of Daniel), Simeon (Luke 2:25-26) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38) were righteous, devout people with their focus in dedicating their lives to service to the LORD. All of them were watching, waiting, praying, meditating and learning from scripture as they awaited the LORD to do His work.
Special Investigation
Let’s think about the challenges and temptations we face in life.
Jesus overcame His temptations throughout his life including when he was in the wilderness. We are tasked with temptations in our lives and we must try our best to overcome them. What we need, is to be able to try to reduce, with the view of eliminating, anything wrong we do commit.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.”
Diagnosis…
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The wages of sin is death…
Treatment plan
Our treatment plan is to not only go and preach (Mark 16:15) but to try our best following the 2 greatest commandments in our daily lives…
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
Follow Up
The follow up is our journey towards life eternal. We need regular check-ups - remembering the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need to do the maintenance ourselves. We need to have the tools ourselves. A patient after a dental visit has the responsibility to manage their sugar intake and their tooth brushing frequency. We too need our maintenance throughout the week; this can be reading our Bibles and investing our time in God’s Word.
“Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching... Be diligent in these things. Give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all... Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
The time to examine ourselves is now. in the future we will not be able to do this. We will not be able to examine ourselves because we will be examined (judged) by Jesus.
The diagnosis will mean our life was either deemed good enough for a place in Jesus’ Kingdom or not. This will then lead to a treatment plan that is yes, good and faithful servant or no.
There will be no follow up or recall after this appointment!
“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”