The woman needed surgery. She was crying out for her doctor. Unfortunately, he was not able to operate, because he too was taken ill. His life style had lead him astray. Someone else was going to have to step in, but who? No one had his skills, his capabilities, his knowledge.

The surgery was delayed and the woman died. The surgeon who was unable to operate was to be under surgery as well, but guilt ate at him over his inability to perform the surgery and he had a heart attack and died.

I would be lying to say this interaction in the dream did not affect me. I awoke a little shaken. In the dream I had known both the woman and the doctor.

As I pondered, I thought, the health of the nation is on the table. Not just the overall “physical” aspect of it but the emotional and spiritual portions as well. Too often we talk about the health of our nation and we blame lack of exercise, foods leading to obesity and such, but I am going to challenge you with the thought of “what is valuable”.

In a “previous life” I listened to radio and I remember when Rush Limbaugh made the decision to make a change. People laughed, but he understood something many only talk about. Don Imus has continued to overcome cancer some 10 plus years. Glenn Beck recently shared his journey about his health, his work and God. You can choose to say “who cares” but I assure you the one with an autistic child has one who does. The one with a handicapped child has one who does. And so do you. A few weeks ago I “jacked” up a man over his health. “What about your daughter?” I asked.

No one is going to take your place. Do not believe it for a second. That is one of the things we have seen in the church since I came in 25 years ago. I remember an interview Jamie Buckingham did with Kathryn Kuhlman. In it she said she did not want to do this but “no man stood up”. What if no man stood because in this case, this instance of history, they were not called? OR what if we as people had come to believe if “I don’t do it. No one else will.” I am not putting her down at all nor puffing her up. I believe God is no respecter of persons. I loved the ministry of Kuhlman. I simply think in the church, we say things like, “if you do not step up. Another will.” I believe that is fine when you are taking out the garbage or something, but what if the gift God gave you is “to greet” or to visit the poor? “Oh, someone else will do that” may be a reality but it may not be a TRUTH.

The flip side is everything is to be delegated. “Put yourself out of a job”. What if THAT is your job? I get you can be in the “wrong” job but what about the one you are good and gifted at?

Back to health. A few short years ago I had the pleasure of sitting with Bob Jones in a small group. It turned out to be my last time to be with Bob. The last words he spoke were “take care of your health. It is precious.” There was more to that interaction but that was the gist of it.

Too many in the body of Christ are sick because they chose to not be proactive about their health. Physical health was written off in church with this scripture. 1 Timothy 4:8 Physical exercise avails little. And that became the mantra of the church. And food? I have been to too many church meals to count where the tables groaned under the weight of the food. (So did the chairs!) I was an “eat the sweet-drink the fat” Neh.8:10 guy. I get it!

Our lifestyles do not need to be nomadic or Essenic in nature, but we have replaced the walk with the wok. And paid for it with our health.

Emotional health is one I see too often avoided in conversations. For instance, over the weeks I have watched a young woman ride the tumultuous waves of an abusive relationship. Each day the light dims a little more. Each time I see her I see darkness is winning. Whether it is a relationship, a job, a season, your emotional health is important. Many cried for Robin Williams, but there are so many others.

And spiritual health? Let me simply say it this way. The life you live is not your own. It was paid for by death that you and I might live. That our trust in that would bring life, liberty and joy to our being. Gal. 2:20

Needless to say there are far better words written on this topic of health. My goal today was to share that, that I might share this.

I saw our nation with chains wrapped around her. It was not an external enemy but an internal one. Our way of “doing business” and looking for a “cure” for everything has simply caused more bondage. (Would I love a cure a for cancer? Absolutely. For me I believe it was found in Jesus. Would a medical cure be helpful? Absolutely. But I will share this one thing. Check out the first two things most cancer victims are asked to do. One is to add something. The other is to remove something.)

Our bondage as a nation is because too many are waiting for someone else to “do it”. There are actually a few names drawn from the information soup folks. SEP is the “acronym” for “someone else’s problem”. It is truly a “psychological” illness which translates to bad thinking that can be changed by NIV, KJV or TPT! Simply said it is predicated on “optimistic assumption” that someone else will do that.

The other “illness” is IFS. This is “Information Fatigue Syndrome”. TMI-too much information, overwhelms the person to a place of bad choices or no choice. (Which becomes a choice in itself.)

This all boils down to this. God is saying to the church in this hour, “get your head screwed on straight.” (He is the head-perhaps there is something there.)It is time to take stock of our health as an individual as well as our gatherings. The health of a nation rests on the shoulders of the church. It is time to launch a preemptive strike. To be serious about our choices.

When Bob Jones spoke I took him seriously. I watched three parents destroyed by cancer. I have seen countless die over physical, emotional and spiritual health problems. Can God use a time of sickness? He did for my friend Jack. It changed his ministry.

When I saw the doctor unable to perform in my dream, I knew God was saying to the church “Get Ready, Get Ready”. I am bringing you a harvest. Will you be ready? No delegation. No SEP. He is speaking to Y-O-U.

I see some ready to jump, pounce or point. This is about grace. This about living as one. Proverbs 25:27 says It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.

Just as they built the wall in the book of Nehemiah, find your position, find your place and do all things as unto the Lord.