Being without dental insurance for the past seven years has kind of put a wrinkle in my relationship with the dentist. Up until this point, we have been only seeing each other on a "as needed" basis. But with the arrival of a new dental clinic in our area and the fact that our kids have teeth, we have begun to enjoy regular oral exams. In my case, however, enjoy doesn't seem to be quite the right word.
Apparently, a lot can happen in seven years. But all things considered, my teeth were in fairly good shape. I had one new cavity that needed to be filled and two old fillings that needed replaced. No big deal.
Neither of these teeth were causing me any discomfort...before the dentist "fixed" them. Now the two teeth that received replacement fillings are killing me. Okay, so I'm not literally dying, but they are.
You see, I went back to the dentist last week so she could fix the problem. It turns out that those two teeth are on their death bed. They have suffered severe damage. When a tooth has been repeatedly repaired like these teeth, there is only two things that can happen. Either the repairs are sufficient and the tooth lives, or the repairs cause further trauma and the tooth dies.
One option is to have the teeth extracted. That's fine and dandy for the one tooth clear in the back, but the other is a bit too noticeable to simply pull. I don't want to look like Granny Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies! So the dentist suggested a bridge.
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A bridge uses the two good teeth surrounding the gap to hold a false tooth. This provides a permanent solution for the missing tooth issue, and it actually benefits the two anchoring teeth. Although these teeth are filed down to accommodate the bridge, they both receive a nice new shiny crown to protect and strengthen them, as well as improve their appearance. After being terrified by the extraction process and the price, a bridge seems like a wonderful idea. I can at least understand what's going to take place in my mouth...I've seen this kinda thing happen in my life before. I like to think about it in a spiritual sense.
2Cr 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
When and old "tooth" receives the Good News of salvation, it is replaced by a new creation, just like a false tooth. However, without deep roots of it's own, it cannot function...not without a little help from it's friends. It needs to be surrounded by strong healthy teeth, to be tethered to them for support, anchored for stability. Without them, the new tooth is gonna be swallowed.
Now, this illustration has it's limits, the new tooth will never grow it's own root system. But it goes to prove just how necessary it is to surround young believers with those who are more mature in the faith and capable of enduring a little extra weight.
Sometimes we forget just how hard life was before we accepted Christ. We forget how tempting it was to fall into old habits, and just how hard Satan pulled at us. We forget how easy it is to get swallowed up.
God never intended for us to walk this road alone. The body of believers, the church, is meant for this very purpose. We need each other! When you need help, lean on me. When I need a lift, I'll lean on you. In the process, God might file us down a bit. But in the end, we too benefit from sharing the load...a nice new shiny crown.
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