The ME Epidemic
Are You Infected?
by David Jeremiah

If your ancestral heritage is European, your forebears were among the two-thirds of Europe's population that survived one of the most ghastly epidemics in recorded history: the Black Death of the mid-fourteenth century killed 34 million people.

Today, the world's most intractable virus, HIV-AIDS, is projected to surpass the death toll of the Black Death-with no cure in sight. But there's another kind of virus-a spiritual virus. Here are a few of the most recognizable symptoms:

• Mirroritis-a preoccupation with one's appearance.
• Moneyitis-inability to disconnect true worth from salary or bank account; inability to give money or possessions away to others; overspending on personal wants and pleasures.
• Micromanageitis-obsession with having one's own way.
• Majestyitis-thinking more highly of oneself than is reasonable.
• Makeoveritis-constant dissatisfaction with one's place in life; lack of gratitude for blessings; sense of entitlement ("I deserve better than this!").

These are just a few of the symptoms of the dreaded ME-Virus, a dangerous, spirit-borne disease that has become an epidemic in our culture.

The above symptoms-and many more-are everywhere. The most concentrated display of ME-Virus symptoms is in the checkout line of your local grocery store. Most glossy covers scream for your attention with ways to make YOU happier, better, slimmer, prettier, or more handsome.

It's all about us and our dissatisfaction with who we are. This ME-Virus is incubated in the Petri dish of our introspection where it multiplies and reaches lethal strength.

Unfortunately, Christians are susceptible to the ME-Virus. Because we live in a materialistic, self-focused, insecure culture, the virus is lurking everywhere we go.

Like any disease, symptoms cause changes in our behavior. When we come down with a cold, we suddenly recognize the connection between our running nose and our crabby disposition. Symptoms are a sign that our body is out of sorts-and our behavior proves it. Symptoms show up unconsciously; our actions are a result of those symptoms.

Before you go further, I want you to do something: Pray the prayer David prayed when he realized that God knew him better than anyone else. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).

Ask the Lord to put your heart under His most powerful microscope and see if there are any signs of the ME-Virus. Then, be sensitive to the Lord's direction. I believe God wants us to be free of the ME-Virus-the self-centeredness, self-absorption, and self-occupation that renders us useless to the Lord, His church, and those who need to come to know Him. I believe the Spirit of God will speak to your heart and show you places where this deadly virus has already invaded your life.

You may already know you're infected. You may see evidence that your world revolves so consistently around you that you are unavailable to anyone else. Friends, family, coworkers, neighbors-lots of people may be trying to get close to you.

That's the impact of the ME-Virus: Though we're up walking around and in good shape physically, spiritually we are totally weak and incapacitated. When we live looking "in" instead of "out" on life, we fail to see the opportunities God sets before us to be useful in His kingdom.

In Philippians 2:3-4, the apostle Paul addressed the ME-Virus: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

If that doesn't describe you, you're infected. And because the ME-Virus, like biological viruses, mutates in ever-changing ways, there is no one-time vaccine that will protect you against this virus. However, there is a proven, effective vaccine against the ME-Virus, but it has to be administered daily.

Protect yourself with a virus shot-potent portions of the Word of God-that will keep you healthy and virus free. The Great Physician's prescription to "cure what ails you" has never been known to fail!

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This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magazine. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of Turning Points.

Thursday, May 01, 2008