The power of example is amazing and I'm so glad that when we face our own struggles, God always seems to put in our path the encouraging examples of other Christians. I'm thinking of my friend, Bob. He was a key executive in a nationwide association of broadcasters – a strong believer in Jesus Christ, always on the go, always in demand, negotiating contracts, always sought after for counsel and advice. Bob was having a huge influence among other media executives and his life was being so used of the Lord. But right in the middle of it all, Bob received the shocking news: he had Lou Gehrig’s disease. It meant his nerves and muscles would eventually waste away, placing Bob in a terminal condition. He and his wife were shaken and sobered by this sad medical report.
His family knew the odds – nobody (except maybe a small handful), hardly anybody survives Lou Gehrig’s disease for long. That alone was enough to deflate Bob’s spirit, but he surrounded himself with people who he knew would pray, plus, he dug deeper into God’s Word. And what he came up with not only guided him through this disease but, boy, his insights sure did inspire me.
His study underscored that Satan’s and God’s designs in Lou Gehrig’s disease, for that matter any disease, even cancer, are not the same. Satan designs to destroy your love for Christ. God designs to deepen your love for Christ. Lou Gehrig’s does not win if you die. It wins if you fail to cherish Christ.
Boy does that speak to me sitting in this wheelchair. And I hope it speaks to you whatever hardship you are facing. Especially that part about what God designs -- God intends that our sufferings should strengthen our love for Christ. The devil wants to use our sufferings to destroy our love for Jesus, making us bitter and angry and full of doubts and resentment. And even if we are struggling with a terminal illness, even if the prognosis is bleak, that disease doesn't win if we die; it wins if we fail to embrace Jesus Christ through it all.
What about you today? Most likely you're not dealing with a condition like Lou Gehrig's disease, or cancer, or quadriplegia like me. Then again, maybe you are -- or a family member is, or a close friend or neighbor. Or maybe it's not a terminal illness, but you're overwhelmed just dealing with a heavy weight of problems and disappointments. I want you to know that God’s design in suffering is to wean you away from this world and to help you understand the full sufficiency of Jesus in everything. God's purpose is meant to help you say with the apostle in Philippians chapter 3, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Join me today, would you, in embracing Christ through it all.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
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