It is that time of year again. Flu season.
In the past week we have begun administering flu vaccines at the pharmacy where I work. We typically do not begin our flu vaccine campaign until October, but this year there have already been reported cases of flu, so we thought it wise to begin early.
While many individuals choose to take a flu vaccine, some do not for various reasons. The reason I hear most often is that ‘they took a flu shot one time and got the flu’. Depending on the age of the person, there might be some validity to that argument. Years ago the influenza vaccine contained a live influenza virus which could have, indeed, caused the person to experience symptoms of the flu. For many years now, the vaccine has contained only killed viruses, which means that it is unlikely that the vaccine would cause flu symptoms. For those who have taken a killed virus vaccine and experienced flu symptoms, it is probable that they were going to be sick anyway, and the vaccine is not the culprit.
I take a flu vaccine every year since my second year (1985) in pharmacy school when I had a full-on, everything hurt, I’d have to die to feel better case of the flu. It was awful. My muscles hurt, my bones hurt, my hair hurt….EVERY. THING. HURT! I swore at that point that I would ALWAYS take a vaccine. I have never had the flu again.
You may be thinking that today you have stumbled upon a push for the flu vaccine here at LeahAdams.org. Not so, although I would encourage you to take a flu shot. As I drew up a few vaccines this past week, I thought about preventative medicine and our spiritual lives. Just as we take vaccines to prevent physical flu, there are things we can, and must, do to prevent spiritual flu, or sin.
Spiritual flu/sin is more nasty than physical flu, if such is possible. It invades the heart and affects every part of a soul. Unlike physical flu, sin often makes one feel good initially, however, that doesn’t last long. Satan’s goal for spiritual flu is to kill and destroy. Once an outbreak occurs in the life of a believer, it can quickly reach epidemic level, so early preventative action is crucial.
A spiritual flu vaccine includes healthy doses of Scripture, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians. It also may include solid biblical teaching, uplifting Christian music, and intentionally avoiding people or situations that make it easier to make sinful choices. The ‘sin vaccine’ is a live vaccine that is administered by the Holy Spirit to the heart of a believer.
While God’s Spirit makes it possible for us to walk in victory over sin, that is not to say there will never be the temptation to default to sin and fall victim to it. The good news is that taking a preventative dose of spiritual flu vaccine by staying in the Word and praying daily significantly lessens the chance of falling victim to Satan’s sin virus. The even better news is that should you and I end up with spiritual flu, there is incredible medicine that will cure it. It is called Grace and Forgiveness. Insurance doesn’t pay for it, however. It is free for the asking.
So, friend, get out there this week and take a physical flu vaccine, and a sin vaccine. You will be glad you did.
