Does God have a purpose for the chronically ill person?
Christie G.
“God, how am I here for such a time as this? Daily tasks are a challenge. Do I have a purpose?”
It seemed louder than usual, the alarm that is. The first sound my ears heard telling me it was time to wake up and begin the day. Waking me up just like it does every day, but this particular morning was different.
As I reached to turn it off, with eyes barely open, I knew it was going to be one of “those days”. A day when physical aches and pains seem to be screaming and brain fog is thicker than usual. A day when the body seems to be angry for no other reason than the fact that it’s confused and, in response, attacking itself.
If you are one of the millions of people affected by chronic illnesses, such as autoimmune disease, or even cancer, I’ll bet you know exactly what I’m talking about. The mornings when your fight begins before you’re even vertical.
Friend….I see you.
Physical weakness can open the door to extreme vulnerability. Vulnerability can lead to desperation, and desperation can lead us down dark and scary roads if we are not guided by wise godly counsel. I don’t say this to instill fear; I say this because I’m being honest. For the woman who has found herself stricken with such chronic illness, and has wondered if God even cares about her, this one’s for you.
Time and time again we hear, “God has you on this earth, at this moment for a purpose.” Typically, an uplifting and encouraging message, right? But how does it hit the ears of the woman who is peeling herself out of bed, expending every ounce of her being to her family, her work, her home, and on top of that is juggling some sort of illness that won’t go away? An illness that has proven to cause issues at any given moment. An illness that can make you feel like a living, breathing, yet silently ticking time bomb.
Prayer for healing and guidance flow from and over you daily but rarely do your eyes match your faith. Hearing often how much Jesus loves you and to just have faith for your healing but can’t help to be skeptical if it will actually come. In this state it’s quite normal to question what your purpose is on this earth or if you even have one. Will relief ever come, will skies ever clear, or will I ever find a doctor that doesn’t give blank stares?
Friend, I’ve experienced this state countless times over the years. It’s scary, confusing, and not very motivating. But God… Crying out to God with every thought and question that has consumed my human mind has revealed something so dear to me, when we seek Him, we will find Him, and He will respond.
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
(Jeremiah 33:3)
I want to share three treasures I have found and practical tips with hopes of strengthening your endurance and encountering God through the struggle. Those limitations could in turn be an open door to the abundance Jesus came to give us.
1.God’s purpose for you is simple. Be with Him.
He created us because He wanted us. We are human beings, not human doings. Genesis chapter 1 says this:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:26 CSB)
Our purpose begins with Him and having a relationship with Him. Before every role or title, we hold in this life, we are first His. God created us and gave us rule over all His creation before we did anything and according to Scripture, before we were even created! That’s when He decided what our purpose would be. We were hired for the job before we even knew that we applied. The most critical thing to do then, get to know the God whose likeness you were created in and ask Him what job He gave you.
Practical Tip: Begin at Genesis 1 and read straight through the Bible. This time try a new lens. Remove yourself from the equation and as you go through each passage search for the character trait of God that is being displayed. Get to know who God is just like you would when getting to know a new friend.
2.Surrender – but with a twist.
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NLT)
How annoying is it when someone says, “Just give it to God!”? So frustrating, especially when you feel unseen and unheard almost all the time. I get it but please stick with me for a moment.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, and you will find what you are looking for. Have you ever asked yourself what exactly you are looking for? As piercing as this can be to an already vulnerable heart, it can be a hundred times more freeing. The beginning of surrender is understanding we cannot do this on our own. But here’s the twist, it’s just the beginning, there is so much more to it. If we surrender our health crisis to God, we must also surrender the expectations of how life will look from that moment forward. A health crisis can easily become an idol and in turn becomes an altar we obsess over daily. God hates idols and if we built an altar He didn’t instruct us to, He wants it torn down immediately. Once torn down, what we begin to seek for may surprise us completely.
Practical Tip: Spend some time in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any idols or altars you have placed above God in your life and heart. Disclaimer, He will be very gentle and kind when revealing these. If you feel any condemnation, shame or guilt, that is not of God. There is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1), and He is the only one that can help you clean out your heart.
If you don’t know where to begin, I would suggest asking God for new eyes. Not just any eyes, His eyes. Ask to see what He sees, not what you see.
3.Finally, take a rest.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)
I will be the first to admit, I am not good at practicing rest. Sleeping, I’m a champ. But resting with my wide-awake open eyes has been a struggle. Because of the culture we live in today I feel this may always be a struggle for most, but I’m fully committed to putting rest into practice, no matter what society says. I have even put it on the calendar to trick my brain into that dopamine rush it gets for crossing something off the list!
When we rest, we aren’t being lazy and doing absolutely nothing. (Stay tuned for my next article on Sabbath rest.) When we rest, we are telling God that we trust Him. We understand our human limitations, sickness or not, and we long to step into intimacy with Him. Rest opens the door to hear from Him and see Him more clearly. We begin to notice all the blessings He has placed around us that are overlooked day after day. When we rest, we get a sharper image of His hand actively covering, consuming, and working all over our lives.
Practical Tip: While we can live our entire lives from a place of rest, begin with one hour a day. Set aside one solid hour with zero distractions. No screens, no chores, no work. Have a blank sheet of paper and pen handy. If the weather permits sit outside, if it doesn’t find a comfortable chair indoors. Somewhere you know you won’t be bothered or tempted to do anything or must answer anyone.
Then sit back, take a deep breath, and just BE with The Lord. This may be challenging at first. For many of us silence can be excruciatingly loud. Give it time. Let all thoughts go through your mind and direct them to God. Be honest with Him. Believe it or not He can take it. He already knows what’s in your heart, He’s just waiting for you to talk to Him about it. After you get those thoughts out, sit and wait. Wait for anything you feel He is speaking to you in your spirit. Whatever you hear, even if it doesn’t make much sense, write it down. If you think you hear nothing, that’s okay. Focus your thoughts on Jesus, standing in front of you. Take His hand, embrace Him and allow the Holy Spirit to wash over you. Practice this daily.
I want to leave you with this. I understanding how tempting it can be to turn from God during long, enduring trials in life. We live in a fallen world; Jesus understands that more than anyone. To believe He isn’t a good God, He doesn’t truly care about you, or to feel He has forgotten about you is a straight up lie. What surprises us in this life does not surprise our Heavenly Father. He is a Good Father. If life is difficult, uncomfortable, or just plain hurting please don’t align that with His thoughts, feelings, or plans for you. He is everywhere and in everything. SEEK Him – you WILL find Him.
Your main purpose is to be you and walk with Him. He wanted you, that’s why He created you. He had already decided what the great plans for you would be before you were born! Whatever life throws at you I can assure you, He does have purpose for you, and it will be more fulfilling than you could ever imagine.