Skip to main content

Some thoughts on sickness. . .

Yesterday I was home sick.  It was nothing serious, but it got me thinking about the whole issue of sickness and particularly God's purpose in sickness.  This is by no means an exhaustive treatment, but here are a few purposes I see biblically.

1.  Sickness reminds us that sin has consequences.  I am not talking about god using each and every sickness in our life to punish us for some evil we have done.  Yet, there would be no sickness if were not for sin.  I believe that all sickness has its root in humanity's fall in the Garden.  Hence, all sickness is a subtle reminder that we desperately need reconciliation to a Holy God.

2.  Sickness can be discipline.  I want to be very careful here. The Bible clearly teaches that not all sickness is discipline from God.  Job was not being disciplined in his sickness.  Jesus says that neither the man blind from birth nor his parents were responsible for his ailment (John 9:1-3).  However, I think that the predisposition of Christians today is to automatically assume that their sickness is not discipline from God.  Hebrews 12 clearly teaches that the Lord disciplines those He loves.

3.  Sickness teaches us to depend on God.  I don't pretend to know what Paul's thorn in the flesh was in 2 Corinthians 12:7, but I am confident that sickness qualifies under the category of thorn in the flesh.  Paul's thorn was for the purpose of teaching him that God's grace was sufficient for his adversity.  Perhaps our sickness is designed to teach us to rely on God as well.

4.  Sickness makes us long for Heaven.  Aren't you sick of it?  As a pastor, I have come to detest the word "Cancer."  The very taste of it on my lips makes me want to vomit.  I have seen what it does to our dear people, and I hate it.  I really look forward to the day promised in Revelation.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Rev 21:4 ESV)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Families' Fridays

Starting a Family Devotion Time by Michael Kelley I haven’t always been a family devotion guy. It’s not because I didn’t want or aspire to be, I honestly did. But we went a long time as a family before pulling the trigger and trying to integrate this practice into the regular rhythm of our family life.  We’ve been doing morning devotions together for about five years now – long enough to where our kids expect that we will. It’s a long road, as are most things with young children I’m finding out. Though revival doesn’t break out every morning over eggs and toast, our continued hope and prayer is that times like these build into the love and discipline our children will have in the future when it comes to God’s Word.  Through those five years, we’ve tried different things, failed at a bunch, and have learned some things along the way. So, as encouragement to those of you just starting out or maybe some affirmation for those of you already in ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Oops!

I can be a real klutz.  I have very few manual skills and I never grew out of the "tripping over my own feet" stage of life.  I have fumbled and dropped more than my fair share of balls. In other words, "oops" has been a regular part of my vocabulary. It is not only in the physical world that I have fumbled things.  I have messed up relationships.  I have prejudged people before ever getting to know them.  I have used and abused those who love me most in this world.  I have failed and sinned my way into more than one tight corner and created untold disasters.  Oops is not even sufficient for the ways that I have blown it. Perhaps that is why something Paul, our worship leader last Sunday, said resonated so deeply with me this week.  He said "Oops is never said in heaven."  Our God never is clumsy.  He never makes mistakes. His plans never go belly-up.  He never fails.  He never ever has to say oops - and that comforts me.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Incarnation

This Christmas I have been contemplating a passage that I have never heard preached at Christmas.  It is Hebrews 2:14-18. 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.   Although there is no baby in swaddling clothes in these verses, they powerfully describe the work of the incarnation - of God becoming man.  Christ came to share ou...
Post a Comment
Read more