Disease comes in varying severities. Leprosy, for instance, is an awful disease that hideously disfigures a person. I understand that one major problem with leprosy is that sufferers might have no feeling in their extremities, such as their fingers or toes. Thus the person can’t tell when he is doing something that is damaging to his hands or feet.

A leper can pick up a scalding hot pan and severely burn himself and not even know it. Though most of us do all we can to avoid pain, lepers understand that pain is a good thing in protecting the body.

Pain is a warning signal, and as much as we dislike it, it is a very good thing. Pain is much like an alarm on your home security system, which alerts you that something is wrong and of possible danger.

I wonder if many dads are “spiritual lepers.” The “body” of his family is experiencing pain, but instead of taking measures to stop it, he ignores it or perhaps is so out of touch that he doesn’t even sense it. The result is not pretty. The good news for the family is that there is hope, but fixing the “disease” of many bad decisions is painful and takes both time and commitment.

“But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.” (Luke 11:17)

Steve