The Urge to Purge

(Proverbs 23:8 KJV)  The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

This is not a verse you memorize and quote in church.  It seems a bit crude but it reminds me of the miraculous way in which God has designed our bodies.  Our physical bodies have a way of recognizing what does not belong and getting rid of it.  If you have ever had a touch of food poisoning you know what I mean.  Once I throw up, I rapidly move to feeling fine.

Spiritually we need to allow it to work the same way.  When the Holy Spirit is working in your life you see it happening.  Have you ever been watching something and it becomes offensive?  That isn’t just bad taste or sloppy acting.  It could very well be the Holy Spirit telling you that what you are seeing is poison to your spirit.  Continue to watch and the poison has a chance to work.

The same can apply to what you read, the people you hang with or places you go.

So?  Develop your spiritual sensitivity.  Listen to that sense of inner rightness that comes from knowing God’s standards and expectations.  When something makes you spiritually queasy, it is time to get rid of it and move on.