Sickness and Hope

Posted: December 30th, 2010 Category: christian, Common Sense

The Holy Bible deals very lightly with the subject of sickness, except that Christ and the Apostles were given the power to cure illnesses, but not necessarily their own. It strikes me that sickness and disease are earthly things, not something that God imposes on people. The Apostle Paul was sick for much of his ministry and the other Apostles suffered in many ways. So the human search for fairness in life really isn’t a spiritual question. Sickness is another earthly way of showing how we must lean on God, over and above ourselves. Suffering can be a spiritual awakening, while keeping faith during suffering evidences strength of spiritual commitment. The “why’s” we ask when sickness or death arise, are normal human questions, but the answers lie only in the overarching human experience.

The curing of illnesses initially by Jesus, then later by His Apostles were both signs of mercy and demonstrations of divine power. God did (or does) intercede on occasions of His choosing, so prayer is never wasted, but God’s Will remains a colossal mystery to us in this life (read Isaiah 55:9). At any given moment, much of this world suffers. When the body is healthy, the mind may be afflicted, when the body is diseased, the human mind suffers along with it, but the spirit can be the light of grace in an otherwise gloomy darkness. Jesus suffered on earth for us, willingly. For us to one day share His heavenly kingdom without first suffering, would be nice but really isn’t practical (read Romans 5:3-4).

We are either suffering ourselves or know others who are. Compassion evidences human character and spiritual awareness, it is also a sign of love. As difficult as it may be to endure pain and suffering, it is more bearable knowing that God loves us and has offered us the opportunity for an eternal life, free of all suffering, through the sacrifices of Jesus. If you view your life only from an earthly perspective, you will surely be disappointed, but if you embrace God and His kingdom, life offers hope and hope is a powerful weapon against suffering (read Romans 5:5).

JC CALKINS with COMMON SENSE 4 UNCOMMON PEOPLE