This past year two of my boys have had problems with their ankles and knees. One required surgery and both required physical therapy. Also this past year my dad has required therapy of all kinds since his stroke. As anyone who has been through therapy knows, it is a several week or even several month process of appointments. Not only are their repeated appointments, the therapist often gives the patient a list of exercises you are to do at home to build strength between those visits. Therapy is a long process of building strength, receiving follow up and continual evaluation in order to fix the problem in your body.

On the flip side, last week I stepped on a piece of glass. I didn’t know it at the time. I just had some growing pain. The next day my wife took a needle and pulled out much of the glass. Then people at Church recommended a salve called Prid. I applied it with a band aid and the next day the rest of the material was out of my foot. Two days and all better.

Unfortunately I see a lot of people who treat faith like a band aid. Their marriage falls apart, their kids get in trouble, they are feeling discouraged or whatever issues is causing their life to be full of pain. They stop by Church a couple of times and they have a heart to heart with the pastor or a Christian counselor. Then things start to turn around and they walk away from faith until the next problem.

I believe faith is more like physical therapy. It requires many trips to Church. Those trips are only as good as the work that is done between visits. Really, much of the cure requires complete changes in actions and even thoughts. Faith needs long-term development in order for it to provide a long-term change.

If you treat faith like a quick fix band aid. You will find yourself back in trouble just as quickly. I am currently counting the days until I see people back in trouble. I know it’s coming. They never really changed their deep issues they just did a quick patch.

If you treat faith like long-term therapy. I believe it is possible to receive a complete and total recovery.

So for me the fundamental question is, “Are you looking for quick and easy solutions or are you willing to do the hard work that produces real results?”