Content In All Circumstances

Depending on one’s definition of contentment the concept can be more or less elusive and perhaps seemingly impossible to attain. For most people being content renders images of money enough to retire on, being surrounded by loved ones and maintaining ideal health… forever. Such goals are reasonable within the human perspective on life. We look for security in the things we can see, touch and feel. Hoping to be happy based on gratitude given by others is clearly a natural aspiration. What if…what about - when these circumstances change? What then? Is contentment more elusive than ever?

I hope in speaking for myself, more than one reader can identify with my regret over being foolish with finances and ruining the notion of early retirement. Having lived long enough to recount a number of bad decisions about relationships, I may have reduced my circle of love. One reason to write this blog is to share trials with cancer in hopes to encourage others, so clearly good health can’t be my source of contentment either. It seems to me contentment must be defined as a state of satisfaction, which can’t be altered by outside conditions. But can we be content in ALL circumstances? As a Bible believing Christian I am confident lasting contentment is attainable inasmuch as we desire to know Jesus; the One who keeps and delivers our souls.

Today, I had an exercise in learning to be content. As I sat in the doctor’s office waiting to find out if the two dense spots they found on a mammogram last month were anything to be concerned about, I considered the state of my heart. Anxiety wanted to creep in. Worry was waiting at the door. What would be the point of worrying about the outcome of the test? Jesus put it this way: "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6:25-27) I prayed to the Lord again today to help me be content no matter what the test showed; positive or negative – “let me praise You Lord Jesus because You are so good to me.” I never met the technician before today, but I was elated when she told me I just had simple cysts – nothing to worry about.

As one of my doctors is given to say about cancer; “Once bitten twice shy.” It is a real possibility that though cancer is now in submission, it may reappear. To live in fear of any disease is far from biblical. “Perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4  To live in fear that my life may end sooner than later is a waste of the precious time God has allotted. Oh to be content always, in a constant state of dependence on the Lord! How much better that would be!

The apostle Paul wrote these words for our benefit: “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13) Paul did not just arrive at this pinnacle of peace without first suffering loss. Of his tribulations he writes: “Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. (1 Corinthians 11:25-28)

All this Paul endured for the sake of Christ, for the privilege of knowing and proclaiming the One who set him free from sin and death! He was content I think because he knew that this world was not his home and a “better country” awaited him. Until I reach my heavenly habitation, I expect to wrestle against worry and at times find true contentment elusive. As Jesus replaces fear with peace of mind and perfect love I expect to be less encumbered by the world and look ever forward to the day when I meet my Lord at the door to His mansion above. With God all things are possible!

For more posts from Comfort in Christ Cancer Support go to http://comfortinchristcancersupport.blogspot.com/

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Worship in Trial

How much can be endured? Why must we suffer at all? Last night after church service, one of the elders of the church gathered some others to pray for me because I had shared that a recent mammogram had shown some density that needs to be re-imaged. (See - James 5:14)  It’s been almost 16 months now that I’ve been treated for lung cancer with chemo, surgery, radiation and more chemo. After sharing this brief summary with one of these fine gentlemen he said, “Are you the daughter of Job?”

Not so amazingly to me anymore, the daily devotional I received in my email this morning was about the book of Job, chapter 1 to be specific. Job was being tested in his faith and in the process this man of great wealth lost all his sons and daughters, livestock and servants. His response is awesome! The scriptures say he "tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:20-21)

The scriptures are jammed packed with figures from history that have endured many trials. Hebrews 11 illustrates the lives of prophets, kings and everyday people who were mocked, put in chains, stoned, sawn in two, tortured and so on for the sake of the gospel; because they saw in their hearts the God that was yet unseen with the naked eye. They desired “…a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:16) There is a tendency to look to these martyrs as our example to the point of forgetting Christ alone is the example of faith to follow. May it never be! Yet, such sacrifice made for the sake of Jesus is inspiring and looking at the suffering Job endured has been especially meaningful to me. His trial drew him closer to the Lord and much less dependent on the things of the world. How needful it’s been to find deeper peace of mind and spirit as the body I’ve known for many years is altered by drugs and incisions. Wisdom and true perspective on the point of life has certainly been the best by-product of suffering in the flesh.

The word of God says this: “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1-2) The point of life for all of us is to live in the will of God. Because of our pride He must tear us down to build up His life in us so He can work through us to reach others. Without doubt I’m a far cry from reaching the point of total submission to the Lord. There remains far too much that I try to control and pride is subtle. Admittedly I can’t do without the Holy Spirit operating through God’s Word and fellowship with His people to rein me in, tame my tongue and change my mind to be more like Christ. Oh, how I want to be more like Him – to press on toward the upward call of God. It is so much better than being tethered to a world that is most evidently passing away.

A friend of ours named Kyle Peart told me the other night “It’s good for you to die, but not good for those who don’t know Christ.” If I didn’t know the God of my salvation that statement might have offended me but I do know Him and understood exactly what Kyle meant – not that I should die but should in effect adopt the attitude Paul expressed: “to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak.” 1 Corinthians 9:17-27 The best attitude is contentment in all circumstances and a heart of worship. This can be done because Jesus in the “heavenly country” is the focal point; the prize that awaits. He so wants to have vessels that are pliable and fit for His use to declare with tears at times, “my God is mighty to save.”    

For more posts from Comfort in Christ Cancer Support go to http://comfortinchristcancersupport.blogspot.com/

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Hurry Up and Wait

Tick-tock goes the clock. Countless hours have been spent waiting for doctors in cold, stark exam rooms. What am I waiting for? If I’m more than fifteen minutes late they can give away my time to someone else, yet I have to twiddle my thumbs when I’m prompt and they’re running late. At last the whites of their eyes appear, and I’m given 10 minutes at most to converse and ask questions. Why wait? It comes down to need. Their knowledge, skill and expertise are needed to treat what ails me. Getting rid of cancer obviously necessitates much more than a band-aid. This disease is beyond one’s own ability to vanquish. So here we are; myself and many other patients – just waiting.

I wonder what the medical professionals think when those of us with cancer are on their treatment schedule? Once we’re finally called I guess I can’t blame them if they rush through the procedures without making eye contact or small talk. After all it can’t be easy seeing so many people with serious illnesses and yet a little TLC would make it seem more worth the wait. Since I will be scanned, tested and poked for years to come I need to learn what the Lord is doing in me through playing the waiting game. Here I am in a situation beyond my control, in a place I’d spent most of my life trying to avoid. What am I supposed gain from this? Among other things, the Lord wants me to comprehend His desire to increase my dependence on Him. I’ll bet my readers can relate to that. God’s Word is chock full of teachings on the benefits of patience.

Moses and the Hebrews were stuck between the Red Sea and the Egyptians who were in hot pursuit. ‘And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." (Exodus 14:13-14)’ Stand still and let the Lord fight this battle. It’s no coincidence that when we step aside and allow the Lord to exercise His strong arm the outcome is so much better than we could have ever planned. Would I not want the Lord to do His best to overthrow the enemy threatening my life?

Being patient doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m more inclined to dive in and get it done. Reflecting back on attempts to hurry up and solve problems, I’ve admittedly noticed missteps along the way. Open loopholes, terrible misunderstandings and the need for damage control may be left in the wake of the take charge approach. The scriptures teach; “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:4) Impetuous, hasty decisions may leave out steps that are critical and crucial to God’s best for me. When it comes to my health I don’t want to be lacking anything. Maybe a better way to look at the doctor’s delay with entering the room is they are still gathering all the information needed for a complete plan of care?! Maybe the waiting time is a good time to pray for wisdom, for my doctor, for the receptionist or whoever may cross my path. A simple verse – a simple reminder to conclude this topic: “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)

For more posts from Comfort in Christ Cancer Support go to http://comfortinchristcancersupport.blogspot.com/

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Pleasure in Infirmities

How strange - how foreign to our sensibilities to see the good about feeling so bad! It’s perfectly natural to strive for perfect health and well being. In fact it should be a top priority to live as healthy as possible. Therefore when we find ourselves shaken to the core by a crisis we don’t know how to handle it. Without my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, I would have handled the cancer news very differently I’m sure. Perhaps I would have grabbed the bottle like many who’ve been close to me when tough times come along. Trying to work toward a life without grief or pain is certainly an exercise in futility, isn’t it? When things don’t work out as planned it’s easy to be immersed in self-pity over the injustice of it all, followed by vain attempts to escape reality with whatever is at hand. Don’t do it. There is a better way.

The apostle Paul was no stranger to trials and troubles. He wrote to the church at Corinth: “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 11:24-28, 12:10)

Wow. Was Paul some kind of super-Christian who never had a day of doubt? I suspect not. Only Jesus Christ was perfect in every way. What we do see is that Paul was totally surrendered to Christ and that enabled him to put himself aside and lay down his life (as Christ did) for others. Such a goal though not necessarily easy, is attainable. The truth be told, how little it helps our health and well being to dwell on personal pain and suffering. Admittedly in the darkest days when cancer was new to me and it seemed like I’d never see the end of chemo treatments, there were some shaky moments of faith. Certainly there was no pleasure with the side effects, yet in retrospect I can see benefits beyond measure. Here’s how.

The ultimate goal of the Christian is to pick up the cross and follow hard after Jesus. Picking up the cross means dying to self; self-indulgence, self-pity, and the need to feed self-esteem. Christ alone is worthy and it’s only by His will and grace that I am privileged to breathe at all. Cancer has been just one cross I’ve had to bear in my walk thus far, but undoubtedly the most challenging. I’ve been blessed to be in this situation beyond my control to learn greater dependence on the One who “created all things and in whom all things consist.” (Colossians 1:16-17)  Prayer to Jesus, the immortal, invincible God is the most powerful weapon in this battle against the invader to the body. Prayer provides the wisdom and peace to know what treatment is best and count on God for the rest. Great pleasure is found in boldly approaching the “throne of grace,that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) It isn’t fatalistic to realize the fragility of life when the body is assailed by chemical concoctions and crazy laser beams aimed to kill a physical enemy within. This life is but a vapor and the body is but dust, but the soul remains forever. With the soul reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, the peace that surpasses all understanding makes it easier to pick up the cross and go on. (Philippians 4:7)

I take pleasure in my infirmities when God uses them as a door for me to speak to others about Him. Cancer is analogous to sin; it must be cut out in order for the body to thrive and can amazingly function much better without it. Never would I say it was wrong for the Lord to allow me as one of His children to suffer cancer. All things including cancer work together for good to those who love God and have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) If even one person comes to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as a result of this trial God gave me the patience to endure it's worth it. To anyone reading my written thoughts or hearing my spoken words I hope the truth and mercy of Jesus rings loud and clear. Because Jesus endured the cross of shame on my behalf it’s more than worth it to become a living sacrifice unto Him. (Romans 12:2, Hebrews 12:2)

For more posts from Comfort in Christ Cancer Support go to http://comfortinchristcancersupport.blogspot.com/

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