I must admit that there are some verses in god’s word that simply surprise us. One of these verses is in Psalm 119:71. It goes like this, “it was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees”.
The verse is surprising because for most of us we would see sickness as an unwelcome thing. It is often unexpected, unwanted, and not very pleasant. It can also come as a result of a heap of other factors such as stress, a failure to eat properly, accidents and aging. I guess I often think it good when sickness lasts only a short while… if it has to turn up at all.
During my life I have so far been privileged to keep good health and to minister to many whose health has been poor, failing, debilitating and painful. It has been a privilege because it has afforded me a number of valuable insights, which I hope will help me when my health fails and I trust have been helpful to others.
Sickness helps us to value and be thankful for health. As well as thankfulness many of the people I’ve visited in their sickness have learnt contentment. They are grateful for simple (yet essential) things like another day, and friends who visit for a chat.
Sickness is a great leveler. Everyone looks the same in hospital pyjamas! Somehow we are more likely to face the reality of our own mortality when we are sick. Our independence is taken from us for a while or even permanently when we are sick. This is not always such a bad thing since learning to depend on others, and on God, whilst humbling, can soften us to the suffering of others and to God.
C. S. Lewis put it in his own sage way, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
It is not that God targets us in our sicknesses but that they remind us that all is not well in our world. Sickness is one of those tragic consequences of human sin – a second cousin of death which comes to us all.
Wonderfully, Jesus has been described as “the man of sorrows”, “the great Physician” and “a wonderful friend in need.” I’ve seen some people come to Christ because of their sickness and I’ve seen many whose faith and confidence in God has blossomed and matured through their sickness.
There will be a day when sickness, death, tears and pain will be no more. That will happen when Jesus returns and brings in the new Heavens and new earth. In the meantime by trusting Jesus we can find that His friendship can transform the lonely sickbed or painful journey with chronic illness. Not only do we have the promise of Heaven when we die, but of the comforting presence of His Spirit in the meantime. One person put it like this, “you must remember that if we face the sun (Son) the shadows will fall behind us but if we turn our backs on the sun (Son) all the shadows will be in front of us.”