He is strong

One of my all-time favorite passages about God and living in chronic pain is writen by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians. We don't know really what condition Paul had but in other places he talks about his eyes being weak - and having a physical illness. Here is the passage:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (New International Version)

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.


I have probably talked about this passage before - but it is so rich in encouragment. Here are some of the main points that I think can be applied to the life of anyone with chronic health conditions and also to the family and friends:

1. Paul was given this health issue from GOD. And the reason was because God had given Paul great knowledge and had revealed much to him. The illness was put there for the purpose of keeping Paul from being proud in himself. I don't know about you, but I find that prideful people are the hardest ones to be around ... and I don't want that in myself. So if God gives me any health issue to help keep me on my face before God and giving the glory for my life to God rather than taking it for myself ... awesome!

2. Paul is honest about how he didn't want this life. He begged God 3 times to take this away from him. I think the Christian world in particular makes those of us with physical problems feel bad if we acknowledge that our illnesses or pain is not something we wanted in our lives. Paul's writing is so honest. Let's be honest with each other - and with ourselves. Sickness and pain are not easy, they are not things that most people would ask for. But as we see later - God can redeem something that is hard for us and make it into something to rejoice in!

3. Paul is content. I have done a lot of research of what's out there as far as support groups and forums for people in chronic pain. I am greatly saddened at much of what I see. There seems to be an attitude with people who are in pain or people who counsel them that contentment will never happen as long as whatever issue is not cured. But I also have seen that so many people never get cured on this earth. Once we have been honest about the fact that pain hurts in many ways - we can then move on to being content even happy in the midst of physical illness and pain. Paul did. He even goes father and says that because of his physical weakness God is shown strong in Him. The final conclusion is that it's all about God. If people see someone who they think should be a victim to their illness living a life of purpose and joy and giving all the credit to God - then God is glorified.

This is what I desire in my life.

ALL Things

When you are sitting there in the midst of pain that won't go away - unable to do things that you want to, struggling with wanting to be accepted, and all the other feelings that chronic pain brings; it is hard to see anything good ever coming from your situation.

In Romans 8:28 there is a verse that challenges the natural feelings that come with being in chronic pain: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." WOW! In talking about "all things" that God causes to work together for the good ... wouldn't this include pain and illness? He doesn't asy "some thing", or "things that are easy" .. but rather he saysL "ALL things". This verse should be engrained on the memory of every person who calls themselves a follower of Jesus! We are all (not just people with chronic pain) going to be faced with something that is hard. I have said this over and over again. But the Apostle Paul understood that ALL things - suffering, sickness, pain, good times, bad times, friendships, employment ... ALL things are in God's hands and God will work with those things to make them come together for the good for those who are His! We can't see the big picture but I think it is so important to remind ourselves of the fact that God CAN. And to remind ourselves and each other of the fact that God knows everything and that He knows what really is GOOD for each and every one of His children.

I am reminded of being a little child and wanting things that were probably not good for me - I often wanted candy, but my parents were dedicated to healthy eating - and so candy was a rare treat. Now, as a child I could have seen my parents not giving me candy as being mean - as causing suffering. But as an adult I now understand that candy as a child is very harmful on growing teeth. To this day I have never had a cavity! My parents saw the big picture - just like God does, and they gave me just what I needed for my GOOD - just like God does. As a child I once was bitten by a wild squirrel. I ran in with hand bleeding and I was crying - but my Momma took me directly to the doctor - who I knew would help me. However, when we got there the doctor immediately gave me a big shot and it hurt much worse than the squirrel bite. I had expected the doctor to be kind to me and not to add more pain to my suffering! But the doctor knew that the danger of me getting tetnus was very real - and that by causing pain for a moment would protect me from getting a dangerous infection. God is like that doctor - He causes pain in our lives and we often can't understand why. We want Him to just give us everything we want ... but then when He allows suffering or even causes suffering we don't understand. But God knows what the future holds - He knows what we don't --- He sees the big picture.

I for one am determined to trust Him even when He allows pain - because just like my parents, and that doctor - He sees the big picture and He alone truely knows what is GOOD for me.

Life to Come

There is one thought that makes all the suffering of being in chronic pain endurable for me. When I feel as if I just cannot take another moment of agonizing pain in this body of mine, when I feel as if each breath is impossible, each step unbearable ... this thought alone can ease the pain: HEAVEN. I am not alive in this life only ... but as someone who has accepted the grace of Jesus Christ as my Savior I know that this life is but a shadow of the life to come for eternity in heaven. The thing that makes heaven so precious to me is that I know that there I will be able to see God. I have loved God from my earliest memories, and I have loved Him through years of confusion and illness, I have been unable to escape from His amazing love even when I contemplated leaving Him - I was unable to because I know His love. Being always in the presence of my Jesus will be joy unspeakable. Seeing that Holy Face with my own eyes ... unfathomable. Even now as I sit here and write - I find that the thought of being in heaven forever with my God takes my breath away.

In the Bible the Apostle Paul wrote: "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." (1 Corinthians 15:19) What he is saying is that if we believe and put our hope in Jesus for this life on earth only ... what's the point? The life to come in heaven is where all of our deepest hopes put securly in Christ Jesus will come to fruit. We will finally see the big picture. We will finally see our God face to face. We will have no more pain, no more tears, no more suffering. Oh the thought!!!

Let no one pity us who have found the peace and joy of our Jesus as we look expectantly toward heaven!