The Candid Christian

For a while now, I’ve been dealing with recurring back pain. It’s been on and off since 2023. I did a scan last year, and thankfully nothing serious was found. The doctor advised me to do home exercises and get a proper work table—something ergonomic, something supportive.

And I listened… when the pain was there.

But as soon as the pain eased, I returned to bad posture. I skipped the exercises. I went back to old habits.

Now, since my birthday, the pain has been intense again. This afternoon, I prayed for mercy, and I felt some relief. But something else happened too—I was reminded of a dream I had a few days ago. In it, either my dad or my pastor (I couldn’t quite tell who) was gifting me a work table.

A table.

Support.

Structure.

Provision.

And as I typed this, it hit me: Isn’t this how many of us walk with God?

When Comfort Makes Us Forget

When life hurts, we pray.

When we’re desperate, we obey.

When we’re weak, we cling.

But when things improve, when the pressure eases, when the pain fades—we drift.

We stop doing the things that kept us grounded.

We loosen our discipline.

We grow casual with obedience.

Scripture warns us about this pattern.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says… Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” — James 1:22–25 (NIV)

The danger isn’t ignorance.

It’s forgetfulness.

A Biblical Pattern: Israel’s Cycle of Forgetting

The Israelites lived this cycle over and over:

They cried out to God in pain. God delivered them. They relaxed. They forgot. They drifted. Trouble returned.

“Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord… and He raised up a deliverer for them.” — Judges 3:9

But after every deliverance, they returned to old ways.

Not because they were evil—

But because they were human.

Comfort made them careless.

Discipline Is an Act of Love

Sometimes we think discipline is punishment.

But God says it’s love.

“The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.”— Hebrews 12:6

What if the pain returning isn’t punishment—but a reminder?

A loving nudge.

A call back to consistency.

A whisper: “Don’t abandon what healed you.”

The Table: A Symbol of God’s Provision

That dream about the table keeps echoing in my heart.

A table isn’t just furniture.

It represents support.

Stability.

Sustainability.

God had already shown me provision.

But I didn’t fully step into it.

How often does God prepare the answer—and we delay obedience?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart… and He will direct your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6

A Question for All of Us

Do we only obey when it hurts?

Do we only pray when we’re desperate?

Do we only stay disciplined when life is shaking?

Or can we learn to remain faithful—even in ease?

A Prayer for Consistency and Healing

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for being gentle with me. Thank You for mercy, even when I forget. Thank You for loving me enough to remind me, redirect me, and restore me.

Help me not to be a hearer only, but a doer of Your Word. Teach me to remain disciplined—not only when it hurts, but when it heals.

Give me the grace to steward my body well.

To honour the instructions You’ve already given me.

To walk in consistency, not convenience.

Heal every place of pain—physical, emotional, spiritual.

Restore strength where there has been weakness.

And help me to remember You—not just in trouble, but in peace.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.