One of the worst things about living in this world is the spiritually numbing effect that we experience. What do I mean? Let’s begin by defining what it means to be “numb.”
The adjective form of the word numb is defined as: deprived of the power of sensation. The verb form of the word numb is defined as: deprived of feeling or responsiveness.
We have all likely had numbing solutions applied to our mouths at the dentist’s office. The point of numbing agents is to keep us from feeling anything that’s being done to us.
But what does it mean to be spiritually numb? To be spiritually numb is to feel nothing, or to feel very little mentally and emotionally. It’s as if a numbing agent has been applied to the soul.
How does one become spiritually numb? One way a person becomes spiritually numb is by being exposed to sin repeatedly. The more we see something terrible, the less terrible it becomes to us. It doesn’t actually become less terrible, but through exposure, the terribleness loses its shock. Where we once felt a strong sensation, we now feel little or even nothing.
For instance, in 1939 the world was shocked and scandalized when they first heard a curse word said in the movie, Gone With the Wind. Why was the world shocked? Because they had never seen or heard anything like this before in a movie. Today you’ll be hard pressed to find a television show that isn’t made exclusively for children that doesn’t involve cursing. Why? The world is numb. There is no sensation where there should be a sensation in our hearts and souls. When there is no sensation within us that something is wrong, we naturally deduce that it isn’t wrong.
It’s to the extent today that even Christians will make arguments that there is nothing wrong with using cursing as a part of their regular speech. How can they make such arguments? This leads to another way people become spiritually numb: We become spiritually numb when we don’t know what the Bible says.
When we don’t know what the Bible says and when we are not submissive to its teachings, we inevitably live life by our own rules. The longer a person lives life by their own rules, the more numb they become. Already living within our sinful nature is a rebellion about being told what to do. When we are not conditioned to humbly obey God from a young age, it only becomes more and more difficult to ever submit ourselves to God, and this is especially true if we discover any modicum of happiness or success in life.
The rock band, Pink Floyd, have a famous song entitled, Comfortably Numb, which has within it some very haunting lyrics, the chief of which say,
When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look, but it was gone. I cannot put my finger on it… The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb.
Songwriters intentions aside, the point is evident. The absence of sensation is not a good thing. To be numb is not a good thing. I recently read in the Old Testament a verse that was deeply troubling to me. The verse was referring to the northern kingdom of Israel after the country divided, it can be found in 2 Kings 18:12
…they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded; they would neither listen nor do it.
The most troubling part of the verse, for me, came at the end, …they would neither listen nor do it. They would neither listen nor do what? They would no longer listen to God’s teachings or live them out. They were a nation that had become comfortably numb. They lived in sinful disobedience for so long that wrong became right and right became wrong.
This troubles me because we live in a world that increasingly will not listen to anything that God has to say. And listening to what God has to say is only half of the battle! After listening to God, we must then persuade people to obey what He says.
When Israel wouldn’t listen or obey, God allowed a vicious, pagan nation to conquer Israel and carry them away into slavery. Why? It was the only way to make the people’s hearts and minds sensitive again so that they would once again listen to Him.
How about you? Are you spiritually sensitive or spiritually numb? It’s typically not a simple answer. We are mostly, I think, spiritually sensitive in some ways and spiritually numb in other ways.
The key to identifying these numb areas, in order to bring sensation back, is to know God’s word and practice living it out every day to the greatest extent possible. Have you become numb in some areas? Fight back! Do you know someone who has become numb? Encourage! Don’t rely on cleverness. Don’t rely on your thoughts and words. Get yourself and get others exposed to God, and don’t let go of that sensation, even if it hurts at first.
Much Love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
