I woke this morning thinking about detox…..I know…weird. It actually came from a dream that I remember nothing of except seeing 2 signs advertising movies, I believe. I don’t remember the movie I was wanting to see, but the name of the 2nd movie was “Detox”. But, it did get me to thinking……
I’ve been through a detox regimen before and recognize the need of doing an occasional detox for the body to cleanse it of impurities that have built up. There are different types of detox regimens depending on the desired goal or the symptoms that are exhibiting. Many start with a “jump-start” in the first few days, then settle into a regimen that often involves herbs or pills or specific foods. There’s often a fasting element….either from certain food groups or from food entirely.
So, I wondered….what about a spiritual detox? There might be a few symptoms that are exhibiting….either depression, increased anger, a feeling of distance between me and God, or silence, dryness, etc. Heart symptoms. Diminished spiritual vitality.
So, what would it look like? What would it entail? That would depend on several factors. What symptoms are exhibiting? How much time do I have to commit to it? Can I focus entirely on it or do I have other commitments that must be attended to during the time?
I’d start with a Sozo to jump-start the detox process. That would take care of some lies that I may have partnered with unintentionally….plus a fair bit of forgiveness…..checking to see if I’ve opened any doors to the enemy. The remainder of the detox would depend upon my goal and my time. Several things would be constant in any detox. Fasting from any secular media…no facebook, games, fiction books, TV, etc. Any soul or spirit input would come from His word and, maybe a book addressing that symptom or its Kingdom opposite, i.e. if a judgmental, critical spirit were presenting, I’d focus on grace. It would necessitate larger blocks of time spent just resting in His Presence, allowing Him to expose any impurities that need to be gotten rid of and replacing them with the necessary virtues or truths.
Some time ago, I was struggling with allowing God to be my Defense…..relinquishing the need to defend myself in the midst of false accusations and the need to explain myself in the midst of misunderstanding. It’s something I’ve wrestled with my entire life. So, I took a 24 hour silent retreat(didn’t think of it as a detox) and spent that time reading through all the lament Psalms. David really poured out his heart, but he learned and rested in the knowledge that God is indeed his Fortress, Shield and Defense. This would be a good thing if anger were the exhibiting symptom as well. If depression were the symptom, I might spend the time reading through the other Psalms and listening to praise & worship music. If silence were the symptom, I’d come with a list of questions I’d like to ask Him, issues I’d like to talk over with Him, and a journal. I’d start talking to Him and wait until He answered….and journal whatever He said.
Right now, my desire to know and love His word is increasing exponentially. I routinely find times when someone else illuminates a truth from a passage that I just read several weeks before. I missed the truth that resonated when someone else showed it to me. I want to glean more truths from His word on a more regular basis. And I want it to be sweet to me…I want to cherish my time in the word more than anything else. While I recognize the need for other teachers in my life, I don’t want to rely exclusively on another human to explain His word, be it Charles Spurgeon, John Piper, Bill Johnson or anyone else. I don’t want to rely on what I’ve always been taught, either.
So, if time were of no essence(wouldn’t that be nice), I’d go away for several days, 3 at the very least, and read through the entire Bible. I’m told it takes about 70 hours, read at pulpit rate. But, it can be read through in about 40 hours. One could read it through in a little over a month at a rate of 1 hour/day which might be more doable.
Another longing that is growing is to become more Christlike….to have Christ replicated in me. That would involve reading through the Gospels several times, seeing how He responded, acted, lived, etc. in every situation. I’d also bring any of Francis Frangipane’s teaching on becoming Christlike.
One thing to remember about a detox is that it takes a little bit before one feels better. In the beginning of a detox, as the body is getting rid of toxins and adjusting to this new regimen, it feels pretty lousy. I would imagine the early stages of a spiritual detox would be similar as your spirit gets rid of some impurities….might look a little ugly. There would probably be a lot of static as your soul gets accustomed to the silence.
At the end of a detox regimen, the body has more vitality, more energy, more strength, and is generally healthier. So, would a spiritual detox result in a spiritual life with more vitality, energy, strength and health? I would imagine so. Now….when do I start?