As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7
He Wants Your Relationship
I’ve always been a go-getter since a small child. Keeping busy and helping people was often my focus. Too often. Because while these are good things, there is something God wants more than our services: He wants a relationship.
When my health took a sudden plunge and chronic illness landed me in the recliner for a few years, I had time to think about my priorities. God didn’t put us here to run around like crazy, being busy every minute. He put us here to know Him. That involves taking time to sit quietly and talk with Him, read His love letter to us, and get to know Him.
If we aren’t careful, we can become so busy doing things for God that we forget to spend time with Him. And yes, this is even true when we are tied down with chronic illness. The enemy can still find plenty of distractions to keep our thoughts from the Lord, and I have not mastered this lesson. I know how it is to fight through brain fog and fatigue, trying to spend time with the Lord. Let me encourage you. Hearing from the Lord and fellowshipping with Him does not have to take hours or a clear brain. Commit to spending at least 30 minutes with the Lord in the morning however fuzzy your brain is. We need time with Jesus first thing, receiving His help and strength for whatever the day holds.
He Wants Your Time
Each of us has a limited amount of energy and time on earth. For those of us who are chronically ill, that’s easy to believe, isn’t it?
Chronic illness is a good reminder of the value of the time and energy God has entrusted to us. Since we only have a limited amount of these resources, we must use them wisely. God has a special plan for your life – for your time. How are you using it?
Take some time to ask the Lord if you are using these resources for the purposes for which He created you. Doing God’s will is not something off in the future. He has a plan for you today – right now! Seek Him in prayer, asking Him to show you His will and to live out His purposes through you by His Holy Spirit.
He Wants Your Praise
Praising God is part of His will for our lives (1 Thessalonians 5:18) It’s one thing to praise God when things are going the way you want; it’s another thing to praise Him on the hard days when you don’t feel well. But, do you know what? God wants us to give thanks in everything – even the hard things!
I have found when I begin to thank the Lord for the hard things, such as fatigue and other symptoms, I receive His grace and strength to face them. When we praise the Lord, we enter His presence and find grace to help in our time of need.
It’s not always easy to thank the Lord for allowing hard things into our lives, but He will give us the strength! And, I have found that it gets easier with time. After experiencing the grace and peace the Lord gives me when I thank Him, and knowing He always uses everything He allows into my life for His good purpose, it provides incentive to give Him the thanks and praise He deserves.
He Wants to Be Your Life
Does the very thought of spending consistent time with the Lord, using your time wisely, and thanking the Lord for hard things make you overwhelmed? That’s because you can’t do it! Yes, you read that right. You can’t do it.
For some reason, we think we can live the Christian life if we only “try harder.” If we just try harder, surely we’ll get there, right?
What about your chronic illness? If you try harder, could you live like a completely healthy person? Maybe if you just try, you could walk around like nothing is wrong, work long hours, burn the candle at both ends, and be fine. Of course, you and I both know this is not the way it works. We might could pretend to be healthy for a short time, only to crash and be far worse off than we were before. So, why do we think it’s any different in our Christian lives?
We are just as weak and helpless spiritually as we are physically. The only One Who can live the Christian life is the One Who lived a sinless, perfect life and laid it down for you and me before rising again victorious.
Instead of trying harder, we must ask Jesus to live His life through us. Colossians 2:6 tells us that we walk with the Lord the same way we receive His salvation. Just as we admit to being sinners and unable to save ourselves, so we must admit that we can’t live the Christian life. Then Jesus lives His life through us, and we receive His grace and victory.
Jesus has already won the battle you and I could never win. Instead of fighting a futile battle and going in circles, we can thank Him for the victory He won and let Him live out that victory through us. What a glorious hope and privilege is ours!
Chronic illness is hard, and there is no denying that. It’s hard for you, and it’s hard for me. Each of us has our daily battles to face. But, what a difference it makes when we know Jesus has already won those battles and is beside us, ready to walk us through them. Be encouraged in Jesus today, friend!
Bethany Griggs
Guest Writer
Bethany Griggs is a blogger of Christian simple living and writer of Christian contemporary fiction, who lives in Texas with her parents and two siblings. She enjoys crafts from paper, coziness, and creativity. Oh, and alliteration! When she’s not writing, you might find her designing planners and stickers or reading Christian fiction from the 1800s. As someone with multiple chronic illnesses, she loves encouraging people through the rough places, rejoicing with them in the good ones, and pointing them to Jesus her Savior. You can connect with her at arubyintherough.com.