The End Result

There are no words that can exactly describe how I feel at this time.
Three months ago I was proclaimed terminal; my life could be made 'comfortable' and it could be 'extended' but not cured.
I was never scared about dying; but there were things I considered.

As the days passed I wondered about what would happen to my children, who would do the military death notification - as I have done in the past, and I wondered if my funeral would actually play out as I had planned.
And all of those thoughts and pondering seemed to serve little purpose except to now produce an end result.
It seems that it is the end result which I have been led to throughout this entire ordeal.

A man named Helmut Thielicke, a theologian, once stated that Americans have an 'inadequte view of suffering.'
From what I've seen in the world, especially overseas, I believe he is right.

Americans do have an inadequate view of suffering but also of many other things as well.
For example, in other countries the poor classes are starving. In America, our poor are fat, have cell phones, enjoy air conditioning in the summer and heat pumps for the winter. Regardless of what politicians say, we are the most well taken care of people who have ever lived.
But I digress.

As to our suffering in sickness, disease and tragedy - we tend to view it not as a progression of life but as a stigma on our lives. Every generation has viewed pain and suffering as a part of the normal progression of life; that is every generation except the current generation.
The reason we are so apt to think of it as a stigma is because we tend to believe that we are to be healthy, happy and live a wonderful life which always is progressing towards better things and then go out with a nice, quiet, peaceful death..
The truth is that life is mostly the opposite of what I just described.

Nevertheless, some people and even many Christians believe the world is here for our pleasure; just ask God and 'believe' for whatever you want and you will have it. That's hard for me to swallow; mostly because it just isn't true.
To these, blame is affixed with suffering; 'you've sinned,' or 'you don't have enough faith.'
To these, I would pose the question that God posed to Satan - 'have you considered Job?'

Job had done nothing wrong and never lacked faith in God - yet, he suffered greatly. And the words of his friends sound very similar to what I hear people say to their sick friends in hospitals; yet, it must be remembered that when God spoke to one of Job's friends, He condemned them saying, 'you have not spoken of me.'

No, it isn't always sin or a lack of faith that causes sickness; although at times it can be - it isn't always this way. And the world isn't here for our pleasure either - it's here for God's glory.

I mean, seriously - can anyone with common sense actually believe that God put the world in motion for the sole reason to appease the pleasure of His creatures? In the world in which we live, over 1/3 of the earth's inhabitants go to bed starving every night.

Again, the world is here for God's glory not my sensual pleasure - but that begs the question, 'how is my suffering bringing glory to God in a suffering world?'
If the world exists to bring glory to God, then everything in the world and everything that happens in the world must ultimately likewise bring glory to God in some way.

The Apostle Paul spoke of the present 'groaning' of creation.
His reference was of what Christians know is the result of the fall of man and how we have the spoiled world in which we live today. When man fell from grace so many years ago and sinned against God - the entire created universe fell with him because man was the ruler/head of the earth, exercising a God-given dominion over it.
The groaning Paul spoke of is creation's cry for restoration and redemption.

In our own lives, in our sickness and suffering - we cry for that same restoration and redemption. Yet, our problem is that we ask the wrong question when we suffer.
Like Job, we ask 'why?'

This is an age old question - 'why do the righteous suffer?'
If, like Job of old, we believe that God is just, holy and righteous, then it would seem to reason that those who follow Him would be devoid of sickness and suffering. Instead, the New Testament actually promises affliction and suffering on those who follow Christ.
Job had difficulty reconciling this just as we do today.

It should also be mentioned that Job's wife gave him another option - 'curse God and die.'
Job refused to curse God and he refused to stop believing in the justice of God, maintaining his righteous faith.
And do you know what the final outcome of Job's situation was?
It was restoration and redemption.

This points me to believe that many times we are asking the wrong question when sickness and suffering is encountered in our lives. We want to ask 'why?'
But that is a backwards look to a present problem; finding the causal reason isn't really that helpful unless someone has been stricken because of rampant sin in their lives.

Instead of asking the backward question of 'why?' When Christians suffer, we ought to be asking 'to what end is my suffering?' Another way to put it - 'What is the purpose of my suffering?'

The answer to this question can be found; yet, it is found individually. Each person suffers differently and no one person's suffering should be compared to another - but each person should be able to find the purpose in their suffering which brings glory to God in heaven. This is not always easy and it certainly isn't pleasant.
Our suffering is not about 'why' it is about 'to what end' it has come upon us.

With my situation, thousands of people from across the globe have joined their hearts and prayers together in intercession on my behalf. Those that read this blog, I am certain a fair amount of them prayed for me; but most of those who prayed for me - I do not know and will not meet on this side of eternity.
People prayed in their homes, in churches and chapels across the world; missionaries in the field and families around the dinner table.
It's humbling even for me to think about it.

And then, God answered our prayers and He healed me.

Since that time, I began asking 'why did God heal me?'
As I asked this question, I found that it is simply torture to find an answer. Over the years, I have prayed for and with many people who were dying and most of them died. Yet, people prayed for me and I lived.
As with the question of suffering, I have been asking the wrong question - it isn't about why, but the spotlight falls on being healed and discovering 'to what end' have I been healed. That is to say, 'What does God have in store for the future?'

The Apostle Paul, in writing to the Corinthian Church, told them to 'rejoice in suffering.' He repeated this theme to several of the churches, as did the apostle Peter, during a period of persecution.
To 'rejoice in suffering' does not mean we are supposed to 'grin and bear it' when it comes upon us. That's not the image seen in Peter, Paul or Jesus. And it doesn't mean that we are supposed to be happy in a time of tragedy.

To rejoice in suffering means that we look for the productive use of our suffering for God to use in our lives and through our lives.

Whether God heals a person or allows one to continue in suffering, there is a productive use, an end result that can be achieved. 
For some, pain, suffering and sickness causes a wedge that drives them away from God. In reality, pain, suffering and sickness should drive us to God.
In being driven to God, it is not a question of 'why has this happened to me' but of 'what is the end result in the glory of God' in this situation.

If you are going through a difficult time, a time of suffering, hold fast to the faith as Job did so long ago. Truthfully, I don't know why some of my friends in the church passed away into God's arms because of cancer and God healed me. I don't know why some are restored in this life and others are taken from this life. And I don't have the answer to every person's situation in suffering nor do I know what God is teaching them or how His glory will be produced through it.
- I do know that if Christians received everything we prayed for, God could never teach us about patience or perseverance.
- I do know that Christians can rejoice in our suffering because we serve a greater end in the glory of God.
- And I do know in our spoiled world, God is always faithful although we may not always understand His ways.

If you are going through a trial of pain and suffering, know that there is a restoration and redemption for you in the glory of God. But friend, you have to want to be redeemed through Christ.
And the restoration that awaits may very well be through death and a new life with Him.
But if you look for the end result of your suffering and seek His faith - God will provide it.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.