Are You A Broken Jar?

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)

For months I have battled a painful skin ulcer on top of my other health issues. My “jar” definitely has a break in it. Indeed, there are several breaks when I consider my numerous health issues.

It is a good thing that our God is all powerful, for we are as weak as a broken jar of clay. The treasure inside of us is the Spirit of Christ. It is through Him that we are made precious and valuable despite our outside condition.

The philosopher Epictetus described human beings as having bodies in common with the animals, but our ability to reason as a fragment of God. Many religions and philosophies understand there is something very special within humans setting us apart from the rest of creation.

It is extremely challenging to get our focus off of these clay bodies, especially when they cause us endless pain and misery. It helps when we turn our focus toward God and remember He created us to be more than jars of clay. When this clay jar is finally, fully broken, we will rejoin the Lord who created us.

Thankfully there is more to this life than a “clay jar existence”. We can look beyond death to an eternity with our Lord, and in this life we can call upon Him for comfort and peace in our afflictions. With my health problems I am not an ignorant optimist, but someone daily facing challenges like many of you. Our hope and faith is not based upon circumstances, but upon a God who cannot lie, and has given us many precious promises in His word.

Whatever problems you are dealing with, remember you have a Lord who loves you and also lived in a clay jar--so He understands and cares about our problems and pain.

Prayer: Dear Lord, these broken vessels wear us out and wear us down. We need help from above, healing from within, and comfort in all our afflictions. Help us even now Lord. Amen.

Karlton Douglas

Copyright 2017

Has Illness Saddled You With Loneliness?

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Occasionally when you are in a store or supermarket you will hear over the loudspeaker that a child has been lost and is looking for his or her mother. I can remember being that child when very young and how helpless and alone I felt.

Loneliness is one of the worst feelings in the world. It drives individuals to go to great lengths and sometimes great expense to find a significant other to end the loneliness in their lives. Loneliness can leave us fearful, sad, and even depressed.

Affliction brings its own sort of loneliness. For more than two decades I have suffered a variety of illnesses and afflictions. And I know that suffering from illnesses can leave you feeling very alone even when in a crowded room. Though loved ones have sympathized and sought to comfort me over the years, there is no way they could fully understand what I was going through and that can leave one feeling isolated and alone in suffering.

There is one Person who has understood and has comforted me throughout all my various illnesses and afflictions and that is Jesus. He is the One I could always turn to and count on, and pour out my pain and frustrations to at any time or place in my life. Jesus is the cure for loneliness.

Suffering can leave you feeling very lonely. And while it can help to have others around you, no one truly understands the depth of what you are experiencing except God. Call upon Him, invite Him into the midst of your pain and suffering, lean upon Him for help and support, and you will find yourself feeling much less lonely.

Prayer: Dear Lord, only You know the depths of our suffering and how lonely we feel in these afflictions. We invite You into our lives, into our suffering, and ask for Your comfort and peace. Amen.

Karlton Douglas

Copyright 2017

Are We Happy Yet?

But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Psalm 68:3 (NIV)

In my book “Surviving Affliction And Depression” I have a chapter titled: Are We Happy Yet? The premise is that as Christians we are expected to be happy. Yet how can we be happy when we are suffering, when our days are clouded with pain, and misery is our constant companion?

It is a terrific challenge to the child of God to find happiness when living with afflictions. Thankfully, happiness is not a feeling but it is a choice. Happiness can affect our feelings, but as someone once said: You are only as happy as you decide to be. Yet it can be hard to choose happiness when encompassed with pain.

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Ecclesiastes 7:14a (NIV)

The verse above is the key to holding onto happiness despite our circumstances: by knowing that God is in control. When we have faith that God is in control of our circumstances we can choose to be happy even when things look very bad. When God holds our circumstances in His hand we know that everything will work to our good in the end (Romans 8:28).

You may not be very happy today, yet I encourage you to take your eyes off of your circumstances and instead look to God. Know that He hold your future in His hands and will help you through everything that comes your way.

When you are tempted to be unhappy because of all the troubles in your life, recall everything the Lord has already brought you through, and hold on to hope that He will see you through your current circumstances. Nothing is too hard for God, no problem too big for Him to deal with. Knowing this, we can be happy whatever comes our way in life.

Prayer: Dear Lord, life throws so many hardships our way. Deliver us and enable us to be happy through all of our trials because You will see us through them. Amen.

Karlton Douglas

Copyright 2017

The Futility Of Living In Fear

They will have no fear of bad news;
   their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7 (NIV)

Fear is a powerful force. It can cripple us emotionally, leaving us weak and feeling helpless to act. It can turn hope into dread, and courage into cowardice. Yet faith is the antidote to fear. And we find faith through reading God’s word and trusting in His promises.

The Bible commentator Albert Barnes said:

There is nothing so well suited to make the mind calm as trust in God.

It is easy to be afraid, especially those of us facing continual health problems. New problems arise, old problems return, and our faith can grow weak in the face of continual challenges. Our imaginations can take us to fearful places and dreadful outcomes and we can find ourselves being led by doubt rather than guided by faith in the Lord.

We must be diligent and wise when considering the difficulties that are before us. There is nothing wrong with taking an honest look at the problems we are dealing with. And we must avoid “wishful thinking” about our illnesses and their outcome. It can be difficult to balance using reason and also holding fast to faith regarding our health challenges.

Yet above all we must apply the antidote to fear: faith. Remembering always that whether we live or die we are the Lord’s. Though we may yet suffer for a little while on this earth, the outcome of every challenge for the child of God is controlled by God Himself. He holds us firmly in His hands.

It is frustrating and exhausting to consider our very real health problems and remain optimistic when things look dire. Our difficulties can loom so large in our minds that they crowd out God. We must never consider our problems to be bigger than our God. While no one wants to look at hopeless situations and pretend to be cheerful about it we can recall that our God is the Master of every situation that comes into our lives. Even when situations look hopeless, we can regain perspective, and can find joy and peace in knowing that ultimately we have nothing to fear because the Lord is with us.

Prayer: Dear Lord, fears beset us on every side and hopeless situations try to drown out our faith. Help us to remember what You have already brought us through, and recall that with Your help no problem or situation should cause us to be overcome by fear. Amen.

Karlton Douglas

Copyright 2017