When Illness Becomes A Bully

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.'” Isaiah 41:13 

  

  When I was in school a fellow much bigger than me decided to use me for target practice, bullying me and pushing me around. Finally, I had enough and told him: “You may be able to beat me up, but you are going to have to fight me.” It seems he enjoyed bullying, but had no desire to actually fight. 

  That was the end of me being bullied and I never let it happen again. I have zero tolerance for bullies. 

  Sometimes it has felt like my illness is a bully, with it endlessly, mercilessly, causing me pain and misery and suffering. I would like to punch it in the mouth and put an end to the “bullying,” but this obnoxious pain does not easily go away. Yet, a fighting spirit is useful when it comes to the bully of our illness. 

  Several times I was tempted to just lie down and quit with my afflictions. I seriously considered forgoing my Crohn’s related surgery and just finishing out the days I had left. It is tempting sometimes to give up and quit fighting, especially when we are so weak and weary. 

  However, there is something in us that does not like to quit, and no matter how weak we are, we can call upon the Lord for: courage, strength, wisdom, and the ability to keep going when our strength is gone. 

  It is not easy to keep fighting when we cannot lift our arms to fight, and it is hard to get back up when our illness continually knocks us to the ground. But a fighting spirit along with stubborn determination can help in such circumstances, and we should never rule out what the Lord can do through us. 

  We need courage, we need determination, and above all we need the Lord’s help to confront the bully of illness. 

  You may be taking a beating right now from your particular “bully” of illness. Maybe it has knocked you down, been mercilessly unkind, and made you fearful and wishing to run away. Your bully needs to meet someone named Jesus. He is the biggest, strongest, toughest guy on the block, and with Him around, your illness bully has no chance in the eternal struggle of your life. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, we face many bullies in life, especially the bully of illness, disease, and affliction. Give us courage and strength. Stand beside us as we face down our bullies of affliction. Amen. 

Don't Let Your Fear Carry You Away

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 

  

  I must admit that sometimes it is my fear, rather than my faith that carries me. In my mind I know that the Lord is going to work things out, my reason comprehends that the Lord is with me and helping me. Yet doubt, dread, and fearful emotions try to sweep away that reason, try to remove that comprehension, and replace it with fearful feelings and foolish imaginations. 

  I suspect that our emotions, often because of our afflictions, can keep us in a state of susceptibility to fear. Our imaginations get carried away by fearful thoughts and doubtful outcomes. We picture the worst in our minds rather than the best, and this creates a cycle of fear that weakens our already precarious state of health. 

  Faith is believing without seeing, trusting the evidence in our hearts when our minds and emotions are conjuring dreadful outcomes. Believing while not feeling that things are going to be all right. Trusting that God will make a way for us when we can see no way forward–this is what faith is all about. It comes down to this: Are you going to believe what you are feeling, what your mind is imagining, what your circumstances are saying? Or are you going to trust your Lord and Master for a positive outcome? 

  It is not easy believing while not feeling, or worse, believing while all our feelings are directly in opposition to what the Lord is telling us. He tells us everything will work out, that it will be all right in the end, but our feelings whisper to us of dread, defeat, doom, and fear.  

  Each day we have a choice to make. There is one thing we always have control over, despite our fears, and our terrible imaginations, our doubts and weakness, that one thing is that we can believe and trust in God. We can trust Him even when all evidence points to the contrary, indeed, that is often what we must do. 

  Faith is not easy, especially for those of us who are ill. Believing is a difficult thing, trusting God is sometimes a challenge. Yet consider our experiences, the many times God has helped us in the past. Remember the promises in His word. Know the goodness and greatness of God. Doing those things, we can believe. We can have faith in Him no matter what we are feeling. Our faith, rather than our fear, can carry us onward. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes it is hard to believe without seeing, to trust You when our fears are causing us doubt and dread. Yet when we put our confidence in You despite our weakness, You bless us for our faith. Help us to never forget that. Amen. 

Let's Talk About The Realities Of Pain

“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ’Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:10 

  

  There is something unique and particular about pain. It can be unrelenting, humbling, bringing us to our knees in misery. We would give almost anything to be free of pain. 

  Pain is without a doubt one of the worst things in life. While we are in the throes of pain, while it twists our soul in agony, driving its misery into the core of our being, and while tears come unbidden at the pointed sword of pain in our lives, it is hard to imagine ever being free of its horrible grip. We can hardly remember what it is to be free of pain when it has us solidly in its grasp. Yet we reach for that imagined pain-free place with all our might as pain mercilessly imprisons us. 

  One has to wonder if there is anything good about pain considering the damage it does and the joy it steals from our lives. Yet when we consider what a mother goes through laboring, sometimes for long hours during the delivery of a child into the world, and then her pain is recompensed by holding a wonderful baby in her arms. Pain is replaced by joy. 

  If every time I had serious bouts of pain, I was handed a beautiful baby to replace that pain, I would have a house full of children. 

  We, above all people, know and appreciate the joy of times that are pain-free. No one appreciates painless times more than the one who has suffered long at the hands of pain. Pain cannot be truly described, it must be experienced, and it is a terrible initiation to the reality of existence in an imperfect and often unfair world. 

  Maybe today pain is robbing you of joy and you want to be free of the hurt that is attacking you. I have no words to remove your pain or make it hurt less. I would not want to mock your situation by denying the truly awful experience of pain. But perhaps you can take comfort in knowing that your pain will not last forever, and that God is keeping a record of your tears. Someday you will be repaid with joy for the misery you have endured. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, we just want to be free of pain. Help us in our misery, acknowledge our suffering, send comfort to us in our terrible pain. Amen. 

Living Without Fear Of The Future

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.'” Luke 2:10 

  

  I have spoken with two preppers on two different occasions. My understanding is that preppers are people who are preparing for the end of the world. They are people who are storing away guns, food, water, anything they believe is essential for survival when civilization ends due to financial collapse, government collapse–whatever it takes to end the world as we know it. 

  I think there are those with afflictions and disabilities who live with a similar mind set, always dreading the future, expecting the worst, living in a state of fear and gloom about their future. I don’t think such attitudes are healthy, and such thoughts rob us of the hope and possibilities that the future can bring. 

  As Christians we have no need to fear the future. If the worst thing that happens to us is that we die, then we will go on and be with the Lord.  

  We are neither alone nor orphaned, and even if we suffer, we have someone helping us through the hard days and nights. 

  Doom and gloom are much overrated. News networks thrive on it, doomsday prophecies and prophets make money and gather followings of their dire predictions. The world has been predicted to end multiple times in every generation. Yet God is still on His throne. 

  The Lord gets us through good days and bad.  

  Life is precious, and you are not here to live it in fear. 

  Every day when we rise out of bed could be our last day on earth, and we have a choice each day, especially those of us living with affliction. We can bewail our circumstances and live in dread and fear, or we can love, show kindness to others, and offer others compassion despite our pain and suffering. In other words, we can be “Jesus” to a fearful and unbelieving world. 

  Because Christ Is Here, We Need Not Fear! 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive us our fearfulness, forgive us our doubt and fear. Remind us that we neither live nor die alone, we do not suffer alone, for You are with us, and because of this we need not fear the future. Amen.