From the very start of my day, my struggle with Lyme Disease ensues and I barely have the energy to get out of bed. Like yesterday, I didn’t sleep a wink and then got up to fainting spells so I had to sit right back down again. When I got up the second time, I was hunched over from the searing pain in my back and it felt like my nerves were on fire. Nonetheless, the day pressed on and the duties and demands placed on me by others combined with my physical illness felt unbearable.
Due to the chronic nature of my illness, there are many days in my life (as mentioned above) where my physical ailments seem to control the type of day I will have. I am irritable, angry, bitter, frustrated, slanderous, and paranoid over the littlest things and I make sure to ruin everyone else’s day. It has been my experience that this type of day usually continues getting worse by the minute with every interaction and every task, but yesterday was different. This is what I would like to share with you.
WHAT TO DO
The thing that turned my bad day into a victorious day were the two verses below. I filtered all of my thoughts and emotions (before they became actions) through these verses. I also brought them into every situation, every conversation, every task, and every decision to be made that day. I would ask myself if my thoughts, emotions or actions were loving towards my God and neighbor, if not I would (with God’s help) replace them with thoughts, emotions or actions that were loving. That’s it!
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
WHY IT WORKS
You might think that this is way too simple to work or have heard these verses too many times. However, I have experienced the relief of refocusing my life on two things (and only two things) when I am physically weak Matthew 11:28-30. On bad days, everything is overwhelming but I can handle two things especially since they are a light burden and I do find rest for my soul.
Yet, it is only when I am extremely weak that I am willing to depend on Him and seek Him with my whole heart. Only then do I really listen to His word do what He says. Deuteronomy 8:3
It won’t be easy though. For this may call you to ask for forgiveness, deny yourself, or love your enemies. Will your circumstances change? Probably not. These verses are simple but doing what He says is not easy nor comfortable but sure is where we will find sweet victory. Deuteronomy 20:4
WHY IT IS VICTORIOUS
Now, how can there be victory in these two verses when they don’t always change my circumstances?This turning to Jesus (via His word) and away and from my present, temporal circumstances is the victory (7). It is victory over the mighty forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil. But let’s remember when Peter had his eyes on Jesus he could walk on water and what happened when he turned his eyes from Jesus to the waves (8). Matthew 14:28-30, Psalm 107:20
These verses not only change my focus but they change the way I view my life, my work and my neighbor. They change my reaction to the circumstances in my life (3). Ultimately, they change me. As a result, I can boast in my weakness so that His power may rest in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
HOW TO DO THIS
Here are a few simple examples of how to do each of these. Feel free to skip this section if you don’t need any help understanding how to do this. If this list feels overwhelming, only try one from each section. Also, try to start early in your day Loving God and neighbor, but it is never too late to start.
Love the Lord your God
Be Thankful instead of grumbling. Thank God for the suffering today realizing it has greatly humbled you and made you more dependent on Him. Thank Him for everything even the fingers that you have.
Call on the Lord for help instead of getting angry or frustrated. Ask Him for His help prior to each task no matter how small and He will answer you. Psalm 34:17-20
Renew your mind instead of listening to the anxious or paranoid thoughts. Read Bible verses, listen to sermons or read articles on suffering. You can also pray psalm 23 or read Christian biographies (6). You can also just go to bible gateway and put the audio bible on continuous play. Psalm 119:92, Psalm 119:71
Accept this suffering for today instead of forcing yourself to push through it. Lower your expectations on what can be accomplished by accepting this illness for a day. I can accept the symptoms of this chronic illness for today by believing that these are just temporary, light, momentary afflictions that won’t compare to what our future glory will be like (4). When I do this, I find myself actually being more productive!
Praise Him instead of letting things of this day overwhelm you. There is something about praising God that feeds my soul and gives me the strength to endure. A lot of the Psalms deal with suffering so just praise Him with a psalm. Psalm 98:4, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 13, Psalm 91, Psalm 37
Pray without ceasing instead of letting emotions get out of control. Pray that God will provide the grace and strength you need to get through this day. Pray that His strength will be made perfect in your weakness(es) today. Give him any emotions that are plaguing you. Pray until you feel your anxiety, fear, paranoia melting away and then pray some more. Pray right now.
“Prayer is a salve for every sore, a remedy for every malady; and when we are afflicted with thorns in the flesh, we should give ourselves to prayer.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary
God is absolutely sovereign so what matters is your reaction to today’s difficulties (3). Every situation will either make you bitter or make you better so choose to react in a loving manner today. Trust that God is allowing this difficulty into your life for your good. Lamentations 3:37, Proverbs 16:4, Romans 8:28
If you have already encountered some difficulty and were left angry or frustrated by it, ask yourself why you reacted this way. Then, ask God to reveal any sin in your life (3). It is not your job to confront everyone else about their sin but it is your job to examine yourself for your sin. Proverbs 4:26
Love your neighbor
Enjoy your neighbor. Have a long lunch with your family or a close friend in Christ who will encourage you. Be sure to laugh a lot, pray a lot and enjoy each other’s company. You can also just call them over the phone if that’s best.
Forgive your neighbor or ask for forgiveness (quickly). Forgive them so that your heavenly father will forgive you. Remember that they will NEVER understand your suffering as they have never experienced it. Remind yourself of when you have done the same or similar thing. Forgive quickly as any negative emotions of anger, envy, or malice will negatively affect your health. Also, the longer you wait to forgive or ask forgiveness, the hard it will be to act. Don’t let the injury fester so act quickly. (5)
Love your neighbor. A small deed can go a long way. It can be as big as praying for those who are difficult to love that God will bless them or as small as putting away their dirty dishes after a meal. Try not to do anything too physical. You can also give a hug and let your caregiver know how much they are appreciated. Go to this link for a deeper description of how to love your neighbor.
Take care of yourself (so that others won’t have to). According to Eric Liddell, when we are unrestrained in our work, refusing to take reasonable rest and exercise, we are being selfish (2). Why does he believe not taking care of yourself is selfish? Because it places a demand on those around you to care for you (when you did not care for yourself) or you affect their happiness with your mood swings.
Let them know you aren’t well. Your neighbor can’t read your mind so let them know you are under the weather today. If you are not close to your neighbor, don’t go into details. Good neighbors may even want to help you once they understand you are sick.
Be Self-controlled and Sober Minded. Love your neighbor by not creating chaos at home, in the workplace or at church. For today this includes keeping your mouth shut, putting the very best light on your neighbor’s actions or words, and don’t be dishonoring or disrespectful.
In conclusion, two verses in the bible have taken my bad day with Lyme Disease and turned it into a victorious day in Christ. I hope and pray that, with the help of the holy spirit, you will do the same.
SOURCES:
- Joy in Your Life by Charles Spurgeon
- The Disciplines of the Christian Life by Eric Liddell
- http://danceintherain.com/2016/12/01/god-uses-all-things/ by Vaneetha Rendall Risner
- Gateway to Joy broadcast by Elisabeth Elliot
- Bibles Studies for Life, Winter 2016, by Ronnie Floyed, et. al.
- Reformation Network interview with R.C. Sproul
- David Ring Sermon “Thou shalt not Grumble”
- 8. Faithful Workouts with Michelle Spadafora
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