The Mind/Body Connection

The mind/body connection is an amazing thing, isn’t it? Those of us who suffer with issues of chronic pain and disease know that mind and body are both at work here, and this is a very important factor in our coping with whatever physical affliction the Lord has sovereignly appointed for us. My own experience with this has been of epic battle proportions at times. Whenever a new symptom appears, the fear escalates and tries to steal away the sweet peace that the Lord has wrought in my heart.

The process is very familiar by now, and I really ought to see it coming. But, for whatever reason, each time it happens, it seems I am right back at square one in the process of learning to think biblically about my situation. It goes like this: A new symptom appears, and I panic. My mind races with the possibilities of what it could be. Though I have learned not to google things (this inevitably increases the anxiety), it doesn't stop my mind from thinking through, based on the knowledge I already have, all the terrifying possibilities. I can go from, “Hmm, that’s odd. Don't think I've had that before,” to “I will probably be in a wheelchair soon,” all in about 30 seconds. Even with all of my biblical counseling training, and a fair amount of experience with this scenario, it still takes only a twinge and a moment for me to start that downward spiral of fear and anxiety.

Now, the Lord has been quite gracious to me in helping me to deflect unbiblical thoughts, and most of the time, I don’t get far down the spiral. But there are still times that I let my emotions win over truth.  What I hope to think through with you today is the “why” factor. Why, after all I've learned, and after all the countless times I've been here, do I still have this response? Why I am so easily led to a place of fear and panic when I know that, in reality, I have nothing to fear?

I think, at least for me, there are a couple of reasons. The first one that comes to mind is the deeply ingrained thought patterns that were set in my mind long before I became a Christian. I was saved later in life, so my unbiblical ways of thinking and responding were firmly set patterns when I met Christ. Though my relationship with Him has completely extinguished some old, sinful thought patterns, this one is really hanging in there.

Another reason this one is particularly tough is that it seems to be relentless. As I have gone through this trial for the last 6 years, it seems the physical issues have stacked up. Just as one issue is being resolved or dealt with to restore functionality, another comes up. In my less holy moments, I find myself saying, “I can't catch a break here!” While I know that this thinking is unbiblical, I find it to be persistent nonetheless.

There are probably many other reasons that this battle is so tough, and I’d be willing to bet that you can relate, and could add a few of your own. But the bottom line is, this thinking is unbiblical and does not glorify God. So, should we feel guilty about it, and beat ourselves up over it? No, I don't think that would glorify Him, either. After all, He died to pay the price for our sinful thinking, and that was enough! We don't need to add self-flagellation to His finished work. Confession is all that is necessary on our part. The Spirit will grant us the grace we need to repent of this thinking, and to start again.

I think what we really need here is preparation. If we're calling this a battle, then we are soldiers, and we need to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18, AMP).

10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

                Remember who you are in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).

11 Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

                Remember that the Lord’s protection is freely yours (Psalm 34:19).

12 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

                Remember Job (Job1).

13 Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].

                Remember that God is for you (Psalm 118:6; Romans 8:31).

14 Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,

                Remember God’s promises (Matt. 11:28-29; Is 40:29-31).

15 And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.

                Remember the Gospel (John 3:16).

16 Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].

                Remember the faith of those who have faced fear and won (Hebrews 11).

17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.

                Remember that Christ Himself is the Word of God (John 1:1).

18 Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

                Remember to pray thankfully, without ceasing (1 Thess 5:16-17).

I’d like to invite you to meditate on this passage, and really think through its applications to your own battles with default responses to your pain. One of the main messages I get from it is the importance of prayer. Often, in times when I’m feeling physically functional and well, I forget to pray for protection from my own “stinkin’ thinkin’,” and then I’m surprised when it comes up again. We need to be in prayer for more grace, more strength, and more patience in these moments. By the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we can overcome even the most deeply rooted thought patterns and fears. By His grace, we will have victory:

But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere…

Things Above

Dear readers,
Due to an oversight, this entry did not get published on April 9, as it was scheduled. It should have been before the entry entitled, Grace, On April 15. Hopefully, that one will make a little more sense after you have read this one. Sorry for any confusion!

Our biblical counseling center has been swamped with new counselees lately! While I am sorry that so many are struggling, I am glad they are coming, because it means that they are seeking the only true help available: The power and comfort of Christ and His Word! My counselees always stretch me and teach me, causing me to search the Scriptures diligently to find words of exhortation and encouragement for them.

One of my “go-to” passages for almost every counselee is Colossians 3:1-4, where Paul exhorts us to set our minds on things above, not on things of the earth. One of my counselees asked me an excellent question as she reported back this week about her meditations on this passage: “What exactly are ‘things above?’ Am I to think on streets of gold, and imagine my mansion in heaven? Should I think about the throne of God, and the angels singing, ‘holy, holy, holy’? I’m just not sure what he means by ‘things above.’”

I thought this was an excellent question, and my answer to her was to think on God, who He is, what He does, who we are in Him, and to be grateful for all those things. But I wanted something more concrete to give her, so she would gain more understanding of God through this assignment. For me, the most encouraging way to focus on things above is to think on the attributes of God. A. W. Pink has a very helpful little book called The Attributes of God, and in it he lists, describes, and backs up with Scripture, 17 attributes of God! I highly recommend this book (Also available for Kindle) because it explains these concepts in very conversational language, and in terms that anyone could understand. Yet at the same time, it teaches the deep, biblical theology that is indispensable to a believer who is suffering.

I hope you’ll get the book, but in the meantime, let’s talk about just a couple of these attributes of God that we can meditate on when we need to get our mind off the things of this world, including our pain, illness, or disability. I’ll start with my favorite, which is the sovereignty of God. (See Dan 4:35; Ps. 135:6; 115:3; Eph. 1:11).  Pink’s chapter on this attribute quotes C.H. Spurgeon: “There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s Sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that Sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that Sovereignty overrules them, and that Sovereignty will sanctify them all…It is God upon His throne whom we trust.” God’s sovereignty is our starting point when we ask all the ‘why’ questions that are so common in suffering hearts.

That sovereignty might seem cold and hard, were it not for God’s love for us. (See 1 John 4:8)  Since God is sovereign, and since He is love, it necessarily follows that His love is sovereign. He is uninfluenced by anything in the creature, so there is nothing we can do to win or lose His love for us. (See Deut. 7:7-8). His love is infinite, and it never changes. This is the kind of love we need as we are suffering in these fallen bodies. To know, regardless of our circumstances, that God loves us, and to believe it simply because the Word of God says it is so, brings great comfort beyond anything this world has to offer. God’s love is eternal (Jer. 31:3). One day, all this pain and suffering will end, and we will be with Christ forever!

It was hard to choose just a few attributes to talk about in this short space, but I simply must include the mercy of God for you, my friends. People who suffer physically often struggle to understand God’s mercy. In our human and finite minds, we think mercy should equal pain relief. But we must remember the reason we were created. Isaiah 43:7 tells us that we were created to glorify God. So, if that is true, then His mercy to us would be found in His helping us to fulfill the purpose for which we were created. When we respond rightly to our pain, we bring Him glory. Do you see His mercy in that? We will never be content until we are fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. Our suffering gives us many opportunities to do just that. I'm not saying that this is easy, and if you read almost any other post on this blog, you will know that I understand the difficulty. But that does not make these truths any less true. God, in His mercy, knows exactly what it will take for you to bring Him glory and fulfill your purpose.

But how, you might ask, am I to apply this truth about God’s mercy when I am aching, exhausted, and feeling helpless? That is a conversation for my next post, where we will continue talking about the attributes of God, beginning with that very provision you are asking for: His grace. In the meantime, I hope you will get this book, or maybe do a study on the attributes of God through Bible Gateway or one of the other excellent Bible resources available online. And remember,

“Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with  Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2&3)

There's a wonderful old hymn that always comes to mind when I read this passage, called “Turn 

Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” Here's just a sample of the lyrics, but check it out here, too.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.                                                                                                                                                                                              

Grace

Last time on the blog, we talked about some of the attributes of God, and I shared that this is what I believe Paul is talking about when he tells us in Colossians 3 to set our minds on things above. When we center our thoughts on such things as the sovereignty, love, and mercy of God, our earthly troubles will shrink by comparison.

Today, I'd like to talk about just one more of the attributes of God: His grace. God’s grace is distinguished  from His mercy in that His grace is specifically reserved for His elect, while His mercy goes out to “all his works” (Ps. 145:9). The thing I love most about God’s grace is that it has absolutely nothing to do with me. It is his completely unmerited favor in response to my completely undeserving soul (Eph. 2:8&9). It is the opposite of works and worthiness, and defies all explanation as to why it is offered to such lowly creatures as man.

Grace is what gives us the assurance that we are forgiven when we sin. Since we did nothing to earn God’s grace, we can do nothing to lose it. His grace is applied freely to us, every time we sin or fall short of glorifying Him in our thoughts, words, or deeds. This is the Gospel! God’s grace is the antidote to fear because we have this blessed assurance that, even though our sin nature sometimes wins the battle for our minds, it will never again reign in our hearts. We never have to be afraid that He will give up on us, or leave us in our sin. Through whatever trials, pain or sickness we must endure in this life, we always have this blessed assurance of God’s grace.

Another thing that I love about this wonderful attribute of God is that He knows exactly when I will need it on any given day, and at any given moment. He doesn't give me that grace ahead of time, nor is he ever late in bringing it. Have you ever read TheHiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom? It is a great testimony to the grace of God, and I highly recommend it. In that book, there is a story from Corrie’s childhood about how her dad always gave her train ticket to her just before it was time to hand it to the conductor. She had no need of it before that moment, and if he waited till after that moment, it would be too late. He always gave her the ticket at just the right time. This illustration helped Corrie to rest assured of God’s grace, in a moment when she was afraid that she would not have the strength to endure her father’s death. Her heavenly Father's grace would come, in ample supply, at just the right time, even as her earthly father gave her what she needed at just the right time.

God’s grace is also the reason that the church is fully equipped for all of its members’ needs. Ephesians 4:7 says that “… to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” John MacArthur, in his Study Bible, says that “Each believer has a unique spiritual gift that God individually portions out according to His sovereign will and design.” This is how the body of Christ becomes complete, to meet everyone’s needs. By God’s grace, he gives each of us the gifts necessary for “the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry…” (Eph. 4:12).

What could you share today about the amazing grace of God? I would love to hear a story from your own life about how God’s perfectly timed grace made its impact on you. Won't you share in the comments, friend? Some of you may be unable to attend regular worship services, but the body of Christ is in many places, including the little group that reads this blog. Your story may be just “the ticket” to encourage them to endure.

Broken is Better

Life is full of pain and suffering. In a world of uncertainty, there is only one sure thing: You will have trouble (Job 5:7).  The only thing that is optional is your response to that trouble. You have many choices when it comes to how you respond emotionally to pain and suffering in your life. I’d like to talk with you today about a few of those, some or all of which you may have chosen in your time of trial. Then, I’d like to talk about a choice that is always better.

First, you can respond to your pain with fear. If you have a chronic or debilitating illness, you may be fearful of a new or worsening pain or symptom, and begin to wonder what you will do if it continues to get worse. How will you cope? Who will take care of you? What will you do when you can’t do what you need to do? Fear of increased pain gangs up with panic about the future, and pretty soon you have bullied yourself into a fear response. This fear drives us more into ourselves, and away from God.

Or you may choose to respond in anger, telling yourself that you don’t deserve this, and that it’s not fair. This response seems more powerful than fear. Instead of cowering in a trembling heap, you shake your fist at your condition, your doctor, or maybe even at God. This anger gives you a false sense of empowerment from within, and causes you to think that you don’t need God’s power, putting distance between you and your great High Priest.

A third response that is common among suffering believers is despair. Maybe you’ve been knocked down many times, but have managed, by the grace of God, to get back up again. Now, after many TKO’s, you have given up. You just don’t have the fight in you anymore. Somewhere along the way, you started looking to your own strength for the next round, and now that strength is spent. You can’t get up again, and you really don’t even want to. You are done.

All of these responses can lead us to one very dangerous place: Bitterness. A person who is bitter has probably been through all three of these responses, and possibly several others, before arriving at bitterness. When these fleshly attitudes go unchecked, they inevitably lead us to a place where we have little or no faith in God, and we really don’t care. We are disappointed, angry, and without hope. We nurture and feed grudges against those who have harmed us, and we curse God, and anyone else, who has denied us what we believe we are entitled to. This is bitterness. According to Isaiah 43:7, we were created for God’s glory. If this paragraph describes you, ask yourself, “How does my bitterness glorify God?” If you’re honest, you will have to confess that your bitterness does not, and could never, bring glory to God. In fact, if bitterness persists, and you are just fine with it, you might want to examine whether or not you are even a believer.

There is another alternative. Rather than becoming bitter, we can confess and embrace the fact that we are broken. Our body is broken. Our heart is broken. We have no strength or power left to fight what God is doing through our trial. We must submit to His will for us, surrendering our desire to control our situation. We must hand over our pain, our suffering, our fear, anger, and despair to Him. He alone is able to handle them. He loves us, and desires to make us more like Him. He wants to use this pain to bring us into His arms. He wants to take the burden of our fear, anger, and despair, and exchange it for His light, easy one.

Dear sister in Christ, you are weak. If you have convinced yourself otherwise, you are deceived. (Jeremiah 17:9). I know you may not like to hear that you're weak and broken, but please believe me when I say that this is a good thing!  Hear the words of the apostle Paul, who suffered so many things for the sake of the Gospel:

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

This statement follows Paul’s description of his pleading with the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh. God’s answer? “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Do you want God’s perfect strength in your battle against pain and the heartache that comes with it? Do you believe that God’s grace is sufficient for you? Then embrace your weakness, and give up your fear, anger, despair, and bitterness. God has given you your weakness as a gift, to help you bring glory to His great name and to make you more like His precious Son! Give in to fear, anger, and despair, and you will be bullied, powerless, and hopeless. Once you get there, you are standing at the doorstep of bitterness. Turn from these things, my friend, and be broken. Broken is better.  

Happy

There’s a song on the radio that I really like. It’s not a Christian song, or even really a very meaningful one on the surface. It’s peppy and upbeat, and to be honest, it lightens my mood when I hear it. It’s called “Happy,” and as I listened to it the other day, I was thinking of my own happiness (or lack thereof) and the reasons for it. I began to muse on why I’m happy, and also on why there are times when I’m not. Let me share with you some of the lyrics to this song: 

Here come bad news talking this and that,
Well, give me all you got, and don't hold it back,
Well, I should probably warn you I'll be just fine,
No offense to you, don't waste your time
Here's why
Because I'm happy…

Now let me say right up front, that I don't believe in putting on a happy face and faking it. There are times when we should express our sadness. The death of a loved one, and other times of serious loss or heartache will certainly take us down for a time. I would never encourage anyone to fake it when they are grieving or experiencing traumatic circumstances. With those exceptions though, Christians should be some of the happiest people on earth. Regardless of tough days or difficult circumstances, we should be happy because we have Christ. We have eternity to look forward to! We have the love of Christ in our hearts, and the blessed assurance that Jesus is ours forever. Psalm 32:1 says,

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” 

Would you say that blessed people are happy people? It seems logical, doesn't it? But maybe you’re thinking the same thing I was thinking as I mused over this: If this is the case, then why are there so many unhappy Christians? Why am I, a professing Christian, so often unhappy? After meditating on Psalm 32 for a while, I have come to a couple of conclusions. First, and I'll speak for myself here, I don't confess my sins. 

"When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer (vs. 3&4)."

Unconfessed sin can certainly dry up our vitality and make us unhappy. Much of the sin in my heart is related to my response to my physical pain. My default response seems to be self-pity. I’m not saying I indulge or feed those feelings 100% of the time. I am saying that, when something hurts, I automatically feel sorry for myself. I don't always speak and act out of those feelings, but I do feel them. What I ought to do is go immediately to the Lord in prayer, confessing the sins of self-focus, ingratitude, discontentment and all the other building blocks of self-pity. I am getting better at this, and I hope you are, too. You and I must train our minds to use the pain as a cue to pray, and to receive His forgiveness and help. 

Second, I often fail to put my thoughts through the filter of Scripture. Philippians 4:8 gives us just the right tool for judging whether our thoughts will lead us to a happy place:

“Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” 

Most of my thoughts don’t get past the first word in that filter, true. My fearful thoughts of the future are not true. Only God knows how the rest of my days will play out. My hopeless thoughts are not true: My hope is in Christ, not my circumstances, so I always have hope. My “I can't” thoughts are not true, either: I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me (v. 13). Once I see that my thoughts don't pass the test of truth, it's pretty clear that they don't pass the rest of the standards for what I should think on, either. It is vital that you and I learn to think biblically about our circumstances. If we don't, we will never be happy in Christ.

The artist who sings this song says that happiness is the truth, and I agree! Happiness is the truth of the Gospel. Happiness comes when we line up our thinking with that truth—when we believe that our trials are, as Paul says, light and momentary, and that their purpose is to prepare for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor. 4:16-17)! Do you believe this, my friend? Are you a happy Christian? If not, I hope you will take the time to pray, meditate on some of the Scriptures I've mentioned, and really examine your heart in this area.

Here’s a link to the song on YouTube. Clap along if you know what happiness is to you!

Givers And Takers

The Lord has arranged a couple of very interesting, and highly contrasting circumstances for me over the last couple of days. Both involved encounters with believing friends, and both revealed to me something about these individuals, about myself, and most importantly, about God.

The first was a coffee date with a friend who is going through a very difficult time. As she shared her struggles with me, it was very clear that she loves the Lord and wants to please Him with her response to the trial He has brought to her. As our conversation progressed, I noticed that she asked me questions about my own life, and was interested in the answers. I had invited her out so that I could encourage her in her trial, but I left feeling very encouraged in my own walk. I was amazed at her other-centeredness and her sensitivity, even in the midst of what must be one of the hardest things she’s ever been through.

The second encounter was at the library this morning. I was studying and doing some research when a lady I’d become acquainted with on other library visits showed up. I had gotten to know her a bit, and we had become friends after discovering that we are both believers. She struggles with sin, as we all do, and I have offered her counsel on several occasions. This relationship is quite one-sided. She usually does most of the talking, and it is usually about her problems. Our last couple of conversations had been completely centered on her and a particular problem she was having. I had not seen her for a while when she showed up at the library today.

My first thought was selfish. I did not want to stop my research and talk (or more likely listen) to this woman. As expected, she sat down at my table and immediately began to tell me the status of her current problem. I politely let her know that I was almost finished with my work, and would be happy to talk with her in a few minutes. She tried to cooperate, but it was just too hard, and after a minute or so, she began to talk, wanting to tell me “just one thing, real quick.” You can imagine how it went from there. Suffice it to say, my productivity ended at that point, and I learned more about the details of the last week or so of her life than I really wanted to know. Finally, it was time to go, and she was still talking as I gathered my belongings to leave.

Now, my point in sharing this with you is not to glorify the woman in the first story, nor to criticize the one in the second. My point is for you to see the difference between these two believing women: The first is focused on God, her responsibilities to Him, and the needs of others. The second is focused on herself, her own problems, and her needs.

These ladies sit at the two ends of the spectrum of fellowship in the Body of Christ: The givers and the takers. Friend, my question for you today is, where are you on this spectrum? Those of us who suffer with chronic pain and disability often find ourselves in the needy chair. If our physical problem is permanent, there is a danger of becoming attached to that chair. But we need to be careful that we are becoming more like my coffee friend, and less like my library friend. It is easy to become needy, self-centered, and forgetful of others when we are suffering. We must guard against this tendency, and check ourselves often. When was the last time you reached out to someone who was suffering? Can you recall the last conversation in which your physical issues did not come up, or you changed the subject from yourself to the other person?

Pray, and ask the Lord to reveal to you whether you are a giver or a taker, regardless of your physical problems. If you find yourself convicted of creeping toward the library of self-focus, ask the Lord to help you check out of there! If you examine yourself and find you are a giver and an encourager, invite a suffering sister (maybe from the library?), to taste and see the Lord’s goodness with you.

 I’m so glad the Lord provided both of these encounters for me. The sharp contrast revealed something about my own heart, and gave me inspiration to work hard at becoming more like Him in my relationships and thoughts of others. While I want to be more like the first friend and less like the second, I know that my true goal is to be more like Christ. As you think on my challenge, meditate on Philippians 2:1-11.

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus...”

Embracing The Thorn

“You’re just going to have to accept it!”

This was the last sentence of a recent conversation I had with myself about the ever-present pain and dysfunction that has become a part of my life. Believe it or not, after 5 years of ups and downs on this yoyo of health issues, I still struggle to accept the fact that, unless God chooses to heal me, I will deal with pain and problems, difficulty and expense related to it, for the rest of my life.

The physical issues have been tough, but the spiritual issues are on a whole other plane of struggle. The physical pain pales in comparison to the emotional and spiritual struggle that has ensued. Wrestling and fighting against my flesh, to trust the God who allowed this, has been the hardest thing I have had to do as a believer. Yet, the Lord has been so patient and so strong, sustaining me through it all. I love Him, and I know that He loves me. But oh, how I long for healing!

I believe that this is a struggle I will have for the rest of my life. I will not give up hoping for improvement, and I will never stop trying new things. I don’t think trying to get better tells the world I haven’t “accepted what God has for me,” as some have suggested. I believe the Lord has given me a brain and discernment, and if He puts something in front of me that could help, I will get wise counsel about it and consider it. But, while I won’t stop trying to get better, I must learn to keep my heart from sinful focus on the pain and the ways that it limits me.

So my question today is, how do I get to the place where I am content and satisfied in Christ, even as I am suffering and working to improve my current circumstances? How do I move on from my mental whining and complaining, and gain peace and whatever measure of happiness a believer in this world can have, while at the same time refusing to give up on healing? I believe the answer can be summed up in one word: Gratitude. As a believer, I’m sure that you are thankful for the many mercies the Lord has shown you in your pain and suffering: medicines that help with pain, a soft bed, comfortable shoes, a dear friend—there are thousands of provisions the Lord has made for you as you have struggled with your health problem.

But I’d like you to consider being thankful for something else. I want you to be thankful for your suffering. Grateful for your pain, your problems, your sickness. If this is the first time you've received this challenge, you might think it is one that is impossible to meet. Be thankful for the thing that has ruined my life? Grateful for the condition that has forever changed me, my family and my future? Can I really thank God for something, and pray that He would take it away, at the same time? Wouldn’t it seem insincere to thank the Lord for my pain, and ask Him to heal it at the same time?

As I pondered this prospect, I discovered that I could indeed be thankful for my pain, even as I begged the Lord to take it from me. How did I do that? By meditating on the mercy of God. Would you believe that I discovered that God was merciful in allowing my suffering? He provided that suffering for a number of purposes, I’m sure, but the one that is most evident to me is the way it has drawn me to Him. As I have gone through these past 5 years of ups and downs, one thing has been constant: The Lord has been with me. Psalm 32:8 promises the Lord’s guidance, and I have not been disappointed. He has led me through many peaks and valleys, and because of that, I have grown to trust Him more. Though attempts to strengthen physical muscles have been futile, I am stronger spiritually than I have ever been in my life.

There have been many days when I felt that I could not go on, yet He was there, urging me along through His Word, even giving me the desire to read it in the first place! I am a better, stronger Christian today because of this thorn in my flesh. And though I have asked Him many more than three times to remove it, His reply is always the same: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). So far, that has proven to be a trustworthy promise. By His grace, I am still walking today. By His grace, I have many undeserved comforts in my pain; many human representatives of Christ to encourage me; and a rich history of His faithfulness, just in my own life, just in these past 5 years; not to mention the entire Bible full of evidence and documentation of that same faithfulness.

Because of His mercy, I was afflicted. He knew exactly what it would take to make me the person He wants me to be. So, I will thank Him for this bittersweet provision. Though I would not have chosen this particular affliction, I see now that it has been, and continues to be, the perfect tool for breaking down my pride and my self-reliance. It has humbled me, and I’m sure it will continue to do so. I am not the same person I was before all this happened, and I must tell you today, I’m glad: Glad to know that I am not entitled to perfect health, or even my next breath. Glad to see that it really is true that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, even as He shows me my weakness. As Job 5:17 and 18 so clearly states,

“…blessed is the man whom God corrects,

so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

For he wounds, but he also bandages;

he strikes, but his hands also heal.

While I don’t believe that my physical pain was directly brought on by my sin or anyone else’s, I do believe the Lord uses it to correct many sinful heart attitudes, and I am thankful for that correction. I have a big, ugly scar from the surgery that was the start of all these physical problems. That scar will be there for the rest of my life. It could be a sad reminder of that fateful, life-changing day. But I choose to let it represent the wound of mercy that my creator granted me, so that I could glorify Him, fulfilling the purpose  for which I was created. By His mercy He has wounded me, and by His mercy He will heal my sinful heart through those wounds.

So, how do I answer that statement at the beginning of this post? Must I accept this affliction? No. Much more than that, I  must embrace it as God’s perfect tool to mold and shape me into the believer He wants me to be. I am far from perfect, but because of His mercy that brought this thorn, I am more like Him than I was before it came. Oh my friend, won’t you consider the mercy and love of God in your physical pain, and begin to thank Him for His work in you? I hope that you will say with me, Hallelujah! What a mercy! What a Savior!