The Blessing of Sickness?

There’s a good chance that you or somebody you know is currently sick with a cold, flu, cancer, or disease. Usually a sick person is pretty discouraged or depressed. Sickness of any sort will never bring happiness. The sick person doesn’t want to be sick, they want to be healthy and happy.

God never created us to be sick, but has allowed sickness to be present in this world. The devil wants us to buy the lie that sickness is proof that God doesn’t care about you. “After all,” he says, “if God loves you, then why does He let you get sick?” Maybe our sickness isn’t all about us.

Gird yourself with the following truths about sickness, and consider how sickness can be spiritually beneficial.

Sickness creates an empathetic heart. Who can best understand the fear of a cancer diagnosis, the pain of a hernia surgery, or the weakness of the flu? Those who have experienced specific sicknesses are best suited for ministering to those specific needs. God may use your experience with an illness to encourage someone with a similar condition.

Sickness reminds us of fleshly weakness. You’re not Superman. You will probably get sick at some point. Our bodies aren’t going to live forever and are susceptible to sickness, which we finally realize when our health gets challenged.

Sickness puts things in perspective. When you get sick, many unimportant things fade into the background. You consider your life’s purpose and focus on God’s will and His Word. He helps us focus on things that really matter in life.

Sickness forces us to slow down. You can’t GO, GO, GO! for years on end. You can’t work 16 hour days over and over. Take a break, or you’ll break. Sickness is often God’s reminder that you’re pushing too hard and not getting enough rest.

Sickness reminds us of eternity. If you’ve been sick or know someone who’s been seriously ill, you’ve no doubt longed for eternity in heaven without sickness and disease. No more colds, flu, cancer, medicines, surgeries, or death EVER again!

Sickness reminds us to pray. Perhaps you regularly pray, but when you or someone you love is sick, you REALLY pray, right? Why? Our prayer time is sometimes neglected or wasted, but sickness tends to renew it’s importance.

Sickness reminds us to care for our bodies. God expects us to take care of our bodies to the best of our ability. Sickness usually cuts the garbage out of our diet and often initiates lifestyle changes in order to avoid future health problems.

The devil wants you to throw your hands up in despair when sickness or major illnesses arrive to challenge your faith. Satan wants sickness to be disarming, depressing, and discouraging…but it doesn’t have to be. If God knows everything, then He knew that you or someone you love would get sick. He allowed it. Our job is to trust Him and respond correctly to the trial. It IS possible to maintain your joy, keep your faith, and fully trust your God in the midst of sickness. God is still God!

You can dampen the blow of disease and sickness in your life. Encourage those fighting illness, get plenty of rest, keep a Godly perspective, stay in God’s Word, protect your prayer time, and take care of the body that God gave you.