Inadequate

http://www.chad.co.uk/news/health/kirkby-gp-practice-put-into-special-measures-1-7362191

‘A Kirkby GP surgery has been placed into special measures following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They found the quality of care at Kirkby Community Primary Care Centre to be inadequate following an inspection carried out in May 2015’.  This story was featured in the Ashfield Chad, July 2015. According to that story, over 5000 people are registered with the Centre and rely upon it for their health care when needed. I would be surprised if some of the patients are not worried by the Commission’s findings, concerned as to whether their treatment there has been sufficiently thorough. I hope that these fears can be alleviated quickly and the concerns of the Commission addressed.

 

The situation made me think. We all need to have confidence in the key services that we rely upon, whether that is doctors, hospitals, police or fire service. All of these services have an impact upon the quality of our lives. We need to know that such services are there, can be relied upon to deal with our case effectively, and enable some return to normality once that service has been used. Failure in any one may even put our life in danger. We depend upon them.

 

In my experience, albeit mainly of the health care aspect, the service and the treatment have been excellent and I would commend the staff at my GP surgery, and the local hospitals where I have been treated. But I am aware that people make mistakes. They get things wrong! Diagnosing illness is not only difficult but prescribing the right course of treatment can be harder. With something so vital, the patient wants certainty, both in terms of what is wrong as well as what needs to be done to put it right.

 

I wonder what we are placing our faith in when it comes to the matter of our eternal destiny. In the matter of our physical health, we would spare no effort or expense to keep our health and be assured that we will not die young. Sadly, many people give no thought to what lies beyond death, and have made no preparation. Some people have given it thought. They attend church; they give to charity; they are caring and generous people. They are pinning their hopes on the things that they do! If there was a ‘care commission’ that had oversight of efforts for heaven, its word for such activity would be ‘inadequate’.

 

The Bible says that all our best efforts will never be good enough for God. But isn’t that unfair? No. In medical terms, the Bible presents us with the diagnosis – we are sinners who are on our way to a lost eternity. But, thankfully, God has provided a cure for the problem of sin. In the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, we can have our sins forgiven, the guilt of those sins lifted, and the assurance of a home in heaven. Why? The Lord Jesus Christ paid the penalty for my sin when He died upon the cross. When I trusted Him I found forgiveness and cleansing! What about you?

 

Politicians tell lies!

‘My point is if you are suggesting that every MP who has never quite told the truth or indeed told a brazen lie - including ministers, including Cabinet ministers, including prime ministers - we would clear out the House of Commons very fast, I would suggest’.[1] These are the words of Sir Malcolm Bruce defending his fellow MP and ex-Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael. He went on to say: ‘The SNP . . . were "judging people by standards that they do not apply to themselves"’.¹

 

The more cynical observer would probably say that Malcolm Bruce is absolutely right but is telling us nothing new. Most of us were aware of politicians who say one thing and do another. In many surveys, politicians were up amongst the top of those who were trusted least! However, the sad thing is that lying is both taken for granted and, for some, expected! What, then, do we think of God’s commandment ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness’?[2] God tells us that lying is wrong. It is sin – falling short of what God expects of everyone! It’s a simple thing but one that has BIG consequences!

But there is another important point in the story featured on the BBC website. It is easy to point the finger at others. It is easy to find faults and failings, even in those in public office. It is easy to follow that up with suggestions of what penalties they should face for those failures – resign, be sacked, be fined, be imprisoned, etc. The question that needs to be asked is: ‘What would happen if we applied the same standards to ourselves?’ The Bible says ‘Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: For wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things’.[3] The reality is that we all sin. We all fail to do what God expects – we fall short of His standards. That sin or failure carries a penalty – separated from God forever, punished for our sin!

The good news is that God has provided a way by which we can escape the penalty we deserve. We can be forgiven! How? Some 2000 years ago the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died on a Roman cross outside of Jerusalem. Though He was perfect – He had never sinned or failed – He died. In that death, He bore God’s punishment upon my sin and, in so doing, brought forgiveness to me and many more Christians. Those who confess their sin to God in prayer and put their faith in Christ can know that forgiveness too. Rather than judge others, let us accept what we are before God, confess our sin and guilt and seek His peace in forgiveness. Will you?

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[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32881672

[2] Exodus chapter 20 verse 16.

[3] Romans chapter 2 verse 1