Every patient I see in the clinic where I work gets printed Aftercare Instructions. These contain my recommendations for what medicines they should take and how they should care for themselves so they can get over whatever condition they came in for. If they follow these instructions carefully they have a good chance of feeling better soon.
Sometimes, however, I think Aftercare Instructions are just a waste of paper. Why? A study was done several years ago found the most common item in the trash outside Urgent Care Centers or ER’s was Aftercare Instructions. These patients came to see a doctor, spent hundreds of dollars, and then throw away his advice! Crazy!
Don’t we all do this, however? We come to the Heavenly Physician, seeking healing and relief from our illnesses, our worries and cares, our guilt, and He welcomes us, declaring, “whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37 NIV). He listens to our complaints, then, through His Word, provides us with Aftercare Instructions which, if followed, could change our lives.
And what do we do? We throw away His advice, ignoring His instructions, and choosing to continue stumbling along, doing our own thing. Then we wonder why our lives are such a mess. And who gets the blame? God.
It doesn’t have to be this way. 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
In the Bible God has given us everything we need to lead happy fulfilling lives. If we follow His Aftercare Instructions, we can find healing for our wounded souls and hope for a better tomorrow. Today, don’t throw away His advice. Open His Word, follow His instructions, and there’s a good chance you’ll be feeling better soon.