Many of you are aware that for the last week and a half, I’ve been pretty sick. Let me first say, “Thank you!” for all of your prayers – they have been felt and I believe they are the reason I was able to make it through last Sunday. I have been diagnosed with a severe sinus infection and bronchitis, so your continued prayers are also greatly appreciated. As I’ve been dealing with this illness, I’ve been thinking about how we can use even our temporary illnesses to glorify God. We often hear of men and women of strong faith who use their chronic or terminal illnesses to point others to Christ, but can we do the same with our colds? I believe the answer is yes.
Let me begin by saying, I’m not always very good at this. This is especially true when I have a fever (which has been accompanying this current illness). I have never handled fevers well, and sometimes have the thought that no one in the history of the world has ever been as sick as I am at this moment (I have been told that this can be a common perception among many of my gender!). Yet, when I adopt this attitude, what am I communicating about the great God I serve and who takes care of me? Rather than complain, I should be thanking God for His loving kindness to me. I learn, just as Paul did in II Corinthians 12:9-10, that God provides us with grace to meet whatever challenge we face, whether it is a sinus infection and bronchitis or something else entirely, such as unemployment. What’s more, His grace is made perfect in our weaknesses! This is a seeming paradox, that something can be made strong in the weak, but when we think it through we understand the truth behind what God is communicating to us through the apostle. If we do something out of our own strength and ability, how do we demonstrate the power of God’s grace working through us? In those moments, people would look at us – despite what we might say to the contrary – and think that it was us who accomplished the task. When a person who is afraid of public speaking stands up before a group of people and shares the Gospel with them, there can be no doubt as to Who the credit goes to. So, when we are sick, when we are weak, what do our actions demonstrate? Are we suggesting, even if we don’t mean to, that God’s grace is not sufficient to see us through it, or are we still praising God and thanking Him for all things, as Scriptures tells us (I Thessalonians 5:18)? Just something to think about… ~Pastor Roy
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