This is flu season.  What’s the first thing you do to find out if you’ve got flu?  I normally measure my temperature.If my kids get sick, the first thing I do is to put my hand against their forehead and sense the heat.  Then if I smell a fish, I put a thermometer in their ear. How do you measure a spiritual flu? I believe you have to measure the level of joy you have.

How much turkey did you eat this week?  Have you stepped on your scale lately to see how much weigh you’ve gained?  Be careful what you eat and how much you eat during the holiday season.  I noticed that I haven’t been sick for a long time.  Remember in the past, during this season, I tended to have cold, followed by cough, and a long period of bronchitis?   I’ve also noticed that, when I am healthy for a long period of time, my empathy quotient becomes lower, and I lost some ability to sympathize with those who are sick.  So, I believe, sometimes, God allows us to be sick, so that we can relate to those who suffer from illness.  God says, “Sam, I want you to take care of my sheep, especially those that are sick and suffering.  If you don’t know how to relate to them, I have to make you taste some sickness.”