Yesterday, I felt really terrible. I don't know if I had a mild fever, or if it was from so frequently blowing my nose, but I felt light-headed, woozy and exhausted. I think that I was awake for only ten hours yesterday, which, since I usually fight sleep, means a lot of sleep for me.
Being ill is tough on me spiritually. First, I usually feel like being sick is my fault, a result of my being overweight. Second, I find it hard to pray when I am ill - it seems like it takes too much effort. Third, I usually just want to be left alone, which isn't too great for my darling, relationship-oriented wife. Fourth, my thoughts are often drawn to more, shall we say, disbelieving viewpoints.
I feel like I'm doing okay on items one and four of that list this time around. But being ill makes me more appreciative of those who handle illness, even prolonged illness, with greater grace and faith. I'm thinking particularly of Pam (no last name in the comments, please), who through her long illness was ever faithful, ever hopeful, and ever praising God.
Psalm 103:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.There are those that believe that being ill means a failure of faith - if we are really in the Lord, then we won't ever get sick. But how do you know if you have been healed of a disease if you don't ever experience it? I think that the verse above is talking about people experiencing illness, and then getting better through the Lord's beneficence.
But I also believe that there will be a time when there will no longer be any illness that we experience. That will be great!
Okay, using the word "beneficence" in a sentence has pretty much exhausted me, so I think that I will end here.
Using the word beneficence correctly, and spelling it correctly, and you didn't fall asleep right at the keyboard? You must not really be sick, PJ, I think you're faking.
ReplyDelete;-)
Feel better, my friend!
I'm sorry you're sick. That's no fun at all -- especially around the holidays.
ReplyDeleteAs for people who think getting sick is a failure of faith, well...I guess they should re-read the Bible. Hardship happens to everyone...and how can we love the world if we've never experienced any of their pain?
I hope you can spend the rest of your sickness without feeling guilty about being sick. And I hope you feel better soon!
I have never understood the notion of illness equals lack of faith; I always attributed it to my lack of knowledge or just being a relatively new baby in Christ. But it's been awhile now, and I still don't get it. If we accept that Adam at the apple, and Eden is gone, how is illness an insult to god? If we now have knowledge and experience of evil, how is illness any different from any other hardship that might strike us randomly? I think I'm a good steward of both my health and my finances, but that doesn't mean that we haven't had economic blows too. I love your teachings of scripture in here, so it seems like you'd be the right person to ask, why is it that some churches or pastors treat illness like a sin? Where could that possibly come from? I've always appreciated how much emphasis Bruce and VCF have placed on healing, and acknowledge how important it is to help the sick, not condemn them. I have had two major illnesses in my life, and it makes raising my kids and mustering through hard enough without my thinking it's a judgment from god. I take comfort from god in my illness. I don't get how christians can be so divisive on this issue. I appreciate you raising it. Answer me if you feel up to it. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLet me distinguish between my own struggle, and the larger issue of wrong teaching concerning faith and illness. Personally, I have been condemned that because I have a problem eating properly and because I am overweight that illness is often my fault. I've struggled with this idea since I first became a believer, and I wouldn't be surprised if it actually predated my conversion.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the larger issue of Christians condemning those with illness as lacking faith, I think that in broad terms the argument kind of goes like this: 1) Jesus accomplished salvation and healing for us; 2) We appropriate his work through faith; 3) Therefore, if we are not experiencing the benefits of his work (like not being healed), it is because we lack faith.
As for how Christians can be so divisive over this issue: many people seem to think that defending truth is more important than maintaining fellowship. Sad, but I understand the seductiveness of this position.