The Cross in Your Life
Are you dealing with a cross in your life? Maybe it’s an addiction, a failed marriage, a child who is lost in a sea of decadence and self-indulgence. Or COVID-19 has infected your life or someone you love and you are desperately trying to survive medical mayhem. The hardest times in my life has been watching someone I care deeply for suffering whether it be due to self-inflicted pain or battling a disease or dying.
I want to “fix it”, end it, and solve it. But sometimes all I can do is wonder –
Why do innocent people have to suffer?
Good people, kind people, people who have dedicated their lives to helping others and serving God are in a battle that seems to have no end. Shouldn’t God protect them from such suffering? Or have they done something so bad that they must suffer the consequences of their action or inaction?
The only way I have had some peace and comfort is in the words of the bible. I read Matthew 4:1-11 where Jesus spends 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. He was tired, weary, thirsty and hungry. And yet with each temptation he turns to the Father, refusing to be baited by Satan.
I read in Matthew 17: 32-56 as Jesus is nailed to the cross, having been spat on, ridiculed, tortured and tormented, knowing that He was fulfilling His Father’s wishes, knowing that this pain and suffering was for a period of time and for a purpose – for our good and for our redemption.
These passages in the bible fortify me and I hope fortify you as you face medical adversity. When the pain of disease feels interminable, unsustainable; it is then that Satan tempts us to sin promising to kill the pain, to end the suffering. When the pain of disease feels interminable, unsustainable God will never ask you to sin; but rather to trust Him and He will give you peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
God doesn’t cause suffering. He meets suffering, bends it to His will, His goodness and makes it serve Him.
Christ meets suffering head on – transforming evil into blessings. Christ will always come to you. In fact he is already there, holding you. Will you take a moment or two to feel his presence? Will you hold on to Him? Will you Trust the Father and the Son to bring a blessing through this time of adversity?
Trust in Christ and transform your suffering into serving Him. Gain His strength, His perseverance and His deliverance.
No matter what you’re going through – keep your eyes on the cross. You need no other sign but the cross.
Thank you for reading my post. If you have found it encouraging please consider liking, commenting or sharing it. Feel free to even re-blog – may these words take flight!
I have additional insights I’d love to share with you found in the pages of my debut book: Surviving Medical Mayhem – Laughing When It Hurts. To order a copy or learn more go to my website at www.lorettaschoen.com
Blessings for Health & Wellness.