There are times that I literally feel that God does not love me anymore. These are the times when I feel overwhelm when I am focusing on the circumstances instead of the solutions. Other times are when I prayed and hope for something, and I do not receive it when I want it. Meanwhile, I am wrestling against time itself with time winning.
Operating in the flesh, I feel what I want or need is urgent, but it appears God does not. I feel that I need God to meet my needs and desires NOW! I am freaking out, but God is chilling. I forget about God’s timing and not my own. Operating in the Spirit, it is not what I want or feel I need. It is God’s perfect will and purpose for my life:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for very purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastic 3:1) “And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there shall be showers of blessing” (Ezekiel 34:26)
God is the “season” for our life’s production. More importantly, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, Jesus became Lord too. Giving God ALL AUTHORITY over me, God is Lord over my life. However, when we focus on the circumstances and not see God is the answer, we become stressed-out. It is only when we placed (giving it all to God) trust in God, we stop stressing. . God has NEVER failed me before. God will not do it now.
We reside in an impatient society that has the “I-WANT-IT-NOW” Syndrome. Most of us been conditioned not to wait. Therefore, many of us do not respect the “laboring of perfection process.” To labor means to work with the love for it continually without failure until the process to perfection is complete. As God labors in his love for us by “stripping and chastening us to form into his will and purpose. Perfecting the perfect gift within each of us.
Most do not appreciate the worth of a thing or person because he or she will only focus on what is immediate seen. Many may not take the necessary time to evaluate the inner qualities of the laboring of perfection process. Such it is with fine arts, fine automobiles, a good husband or a good wife. It takes a special laboring of love for the gifts or talents fulfill to appreciate.
The quality of the gift is greater through a long process perfecting the greatest of one’s gift and ability. In some cases, the longer the process, the more valuable. Until we understand the laboring of perfection process of why we endure adversity and sickness, we will not appreciate the will and purpose for our lives and the greatest of the God within us once accepted.
Why am I here on this earth and at this time and why am I going through so many adversities?
Daily many go through religious rituals in their lives without having a purpose. Many do not seek the purpose for their life outside working or rearing a family. Many think that their purpose is solely to make money to pay bills, rear families, or to become famous to have others worship them.
Many do not want to work or labor for what they want or need due to laziness or thinking that someone owes them something. These folks just want quick gratification never appreciating the true value of the purpose. The slackers who greed and feed by seeking and deceiving others. Each one of us has a purpose in the laboring process to perfection, spiritually speaking. I assure it is not to glorify you. A Christian purpose is part of a larger purpose. The longsuffering comes into play to conform the purpose:
“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ until we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesian 4:12-15)
Adversity is not always a punishment. Just as sickness and or disease is not always due to sin. There is a much larger reason that we may never know until way down the line. The reason may reveal itself within a period to a month or several years.
Longsuffering is a laboring of perfection process. One of the character traits of a mature Christian is longsuffering. Longsuffering is one of the Fruit of the Spirit. Longsuffering includes growing patience. Even more, longsuffering helps us to trust God, through discipline and obedience, for every situation for our life and the lives of others. Trusting God to the point whereby we do not worry or fret about the adversity, but trust God through the adversity.
In my opinion, sickness is the hardest adversity of trial and tribulation. In some cases of long-standing severe (infirmities) illness or sickness, one is totally depending upon others. An example are those who are quadriplegic or those who are physically or mentally (or both) unable to help themselves, whereby they have no choice in the decision process for their health. Trusting the caregiver, the hospital staff, or the disrespectful relative whose only passion to help is out of greed and or money. “What do I get out of it?”
In some cases of sickness, we do not know why many endure certain life-threatening illnesses. In the Word of God, many infirmities (sickness) are due to sin in a person’s life: “And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.” (St. Mark 2:3-5)
Because sin is disobedience against God, many “open the door” for sickness to come in. For example, cancer and other respiratory sickness and disease are due to those who smoke. I know many hate the following, but many sicknesses and or diseases are due to homosexuality, incest, rape, etc. Other sickness and or diseases are because of hatred, prejudices, greed, selfishness etc. So many sins open the door for sicknesses and or diseases to enter into a person.
The good news is that God will deliver and heal when the person repents with a complete change of heart, turning away from the sins that he or she practiced in their lives and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord (permission over one’s life) and Savior. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
In the Word of God, God will use sickness, diseases, and infirmity to fulfill His purpose through longsuffering: “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” (St. John 9:1-3)
In many situations of adversity (infirmities), sickness, and or disease, one must endure through longsuffering what others are enduring in preparation for the ministry of healing. One cannot effectively minister if they have no knowledge, compassion, faith or trust that God will do what he said. When one has suffered long, he or she learns, through the longsuffering, to have the knowledge, understanding, compassion and increasing faith to completely trust in God’s Word.
These servants can effectively allow God to use them to minister and heal others: “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” (St. Matthews 10:1) Of course, not everyone may endure adversity of sickness or disease. Definitely, they will endure long-suffering without a doubt.
In other situations of adversity of various sicknesses, and or diseases, God use longsuffering as the “laboring to perfection process” to discipline and purge purpose and us to establish his will and purpose. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that bear not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” (St. John 15:1-2)
As Jehovah Raphe, God that heals thee, many have a testimony of God’s healing power to provide hope to others to trust God for their healing too.
Longsuffering through adversity and sickness humble us by transforming us to be conforming.
Longsuffering teach us to know that we are NOTHING without God. Longsuffering teach us to be patient.
Longsuffering changes are behaviors from bad to good.
Longsuffering chastens us to discipline us in keeping us from ultimate destruction. For sins (disobedience) will lead to sickness, disease, and then death.
Longsuffering teach us to love unconditionally those whose behaviors are challenging, thus perfecting God’s love.
Longsuffering teach us to be cheerful givers helping those who are less fortunate and financially meet the need of the Body of Christ.
Longsuffering teach us to be better stewards of our life, the lives of others and money and things we may possess.
Longsuffering teach us to be grateful by appreciating what we have.
Longsuffering teach us to appreciate those who love us unconditionally, for many take advantage never showing appreciation nor respect.
Teaching us the will and purpose of God, longsuffering produces, bringing out and into life, many spiritual things, gifts, and blessings ALREADY placed within us.
Longsuffering teach us not to worry but to trust God and to be transform by God’s word increasing in faith.
Longsuffering is a laboring of perfection process that ultimately glorifies God for who He Is.