I had surgery today. Okay, so it wasn’t major surgery, but they DID cut me open, stitch me up, and seal the wound with some medical super glue and stitches!
A couple of years ago, I noticed this weird… thing… on my leg. Most of the time, it didn’t hurt, but every once in a while, it would flare up with intense pain that completely sidelined me. I figured if I just ignored it, maybe it would go away.
About two years ago, the pain got bad enough that I finally went to see my general practitioner. He took a look and told me it was a boil—nothing really to be done about it. I trusted him and left it alone. Silly me.
Then earlier this year, the pain became unbearable. I could barely walk. I was out of commission for days. This time, I went to a dermatologist. She took one look at it—literally about ten seconds—and said, “That’s not a boil. It’s a cyst. We can remove it if you want.” She gave me a cortisone shot to ease the pain, and we scheduled the procedure.
I’ll admit—I was nervous. What if it hurt too much? What if something went wrong? What if I actually missed that weird little thing that had been part of my leg for so long?
But guess what? The surgery went great. I didn’t feel a thing! And honestly? I feel lighter now that it’s gone.
As I reflected on it, I realized how often we avoid cutting something out of our lives because we’re afraid. Afraid it will hurt too much. Afraid of what could go wrong. Afraid we might miss it when it’s gone. But if we truly want to be the healthiest version of ourselves, we have to CUT IT OUT. We have to remove whatever is holding us back—whatever we’re clinging to instead of clinging to Jesus.
What do you need to cut out?
- Social media?
- Processed food, sugar, or alcohol?
- An unhealthy friendship or relationship?
- Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime?
Maybe it’s not something to eliminate but a change you know you need to make—one you’ve been avoiding, like I avoided going to the doctor. The truth is, change can be painful, but we’ll stay stuck until we make it.
So today, make the decision. CUT IT OUT or MAKE THE CHANGE you’ve been putting off. On the other side of that choice? Healing. Healthiness. Holiness.
ERIK LINDEEN 