Like many people all around the world, I currently have Olympic fever. Whenever I can, my television and computer are attuned to the Olympics. I have many games I particularly enjoy, but my favorite by far is the synchronized diving. Growing up, I always imagined winning a gold medal for this Olympic game. Those who know me understand just how laughable this dream truly is. Although I can swim, I have never been a big fan of the diving board. I much prefer sedately walking down the steps into the swimming pool. Climbing ridiculous heights, only to jump head-first into deep water, is not my idea of a good time. Yet even my preference to remain in the pool and not above it couldn't stop me from pretending I was an Olympian with my friends whenever the Olympic season rolled around. Unfortunately, pretending is the only thing I did. My friends and I were no more Olympians than the majority of people in this country.
In Philippians 1:15-18, Paul talked about a group of people who were also pretenders, yet their pretending was far more serious than the pretending of a young girl. The people to whom Paul referred were pretending they were Christians. Paul said that even though they said and did the right things, their hearts were in the wrong place.
It's easy to fly past passages of Scripture like this because Paul was talking about his interactions with a specific group of people who were behaving inappropriately, but I believe there is a lesson to be learned. Anyone suffering with a chronic illness has a tendency to question God's love and faithfulness. The only problem with this is that when we question God's reason for allowing us to be sick, we often find ourselves facing a crisis of faith. For me, I came dangerously close to walking away from God after being diagnosed with a second illness, but since I live in a small Southern town and am the daughter of a pastor, I decided to keep up the appearance of being a "good Christian."
For over a year, I pretended everything about my relationship with God. I went to church, said the right things, and behaved in the proper way, but inside, I was miserable. My physical agony didn't even compare to my spiritual and emotional agony. Desperate for a little bit of peace and happiness, I finally turned to God for help. As I spent time praying and studying the Bible, I realized God doesn't want pretenders. He is only interested in the real thing - people who genuinely love God and want a relationship with Him.
So am I healed? Did my return to God take away my pain and suffering? Although I wish I could say yes, the answer is no. I still live with two chronic illnesses, and I can't answer the "why" question we have all wondered at some time or another, but this I know: I would much rather be sick and have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ than to be healthy and have a pretend relationship with Him. It took two illnesses for me to finally understand this truth, but I can honestly say I am happier today than I was when I had no illness at all.
How about you? Are you a master pretender, or do you have a real relationship with Christ? The real thing won't necessarily change your situation, but I guarantee it will change you. So what have you got to lose?
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Romans 15:13 (NASB)
(c) July 30, 2012
It's easy to fly past passages of Scripture like this because Paul was talking about his interactions with a specific group of people who were behaving inappropriately, but I believe there is a lesson to be learned. Anyone suffering with a chronic illness has a tendency to question God's love and faithfulness. The only problem with this is that when we question God's reason for allowing us to be sick, we often find ourselves facing a crisis of faith. For me, I came dangerously close to walking away from God after being diagnosed with a second illness, but since I live in a small Southern town and am the daughter of a pastor, I decided to keep up the appearance of being a "good Christian."
For over a year, I pretended everything about my relationship with God. I went to church, said the right things, and behaved in the proper way, but inside, I was miserable. My physical agony didn't even compare to my spiritual and emotional agony. Desperate for a little bit of peace and happiness, I finally turned to God for help. As I spent time praying and studying the Bible, I realized God doesn't want pretenders. He is only interested in the real thing - people who genuinely love God and want a relationship with Him.
So am I healed? Did my return to God take away my pain and suffering? Although I wish I could say yes, the answer is no. I still live with two chronic illnesses, and I can't answer the "why" question we have all wondered at some time or another, but this I know: I would much rather be sick and have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ than to be healthy and have a pretend relationship with Him. It took two illnesses for me to finally understand this truth, but I can honestly say I am happier today than I was when I had no illness at all.
How about you? Are you a master pretender, or do you have a real relationship with Christ? The real thing won't necessarily change your situation, but I guarantee it will change you. So what have you got to lose?
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Romans 15:13 (NASB)
(c) July 30, 2012
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