Vital Signs: Saturday, October 5, 2024

“They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them,” says the Lord.” - ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Superficial Treatment

When someone with a deep wound seeks wise counsel and is told something that makes the wound worse, that’s called secondary abuse. Jeremiah referred to it as superficial treatments for… mortal wounds. It happens when a severely hurting person is told to just pray more and read the Bible more, as if everything will be okay. When someone is beaten and then told to just stay there and pray for their spouse rather than find safety for themselves and their family, it only makes matters worse. When a woman is blamed for a man’s unfaithfulness or vice versa, it isn’t just bad or superficial; it’s secondary abuse.

Let us be careful in our counsel to ensure that God is even telling us to give it. And when speaking into someone’s life, may we never speak opinions but always offer godly wisdom. It’s better to be thought a fool than to open our mouths and remove all doubt.