Overcoming Sickness
Sickness is not from God. Jesus on earth was constantly driving sicknesses out of individuals. However, that something is not caused by God, does not imply that it be used by God for the good of His people. These five months have not been the easiest on me due to the prolonged eczema that I have been battling with, along with the emotional and psychological battle that I face every day in response to it. However, God has proven faithful these few months and will continue to be faithful in His word at restoring my health.
These three revelations came to me while I was battling this chronic relapse:
Firstly, God wanted to heal me in the long run. He could have given me instant relief…but that would not break my 18–year habit of scratching even when it’s not itchy, meaning to say that my skin could never completely recover, along with complete overcoming of the need for oral steroids. Sure, it would heal on its own, but the damage that my scratching does to my skin has been extensive, and through this season of therapy and hellish cold turkey, God is training me to kick the habit of scratching. Once my body recovers fully, it has sustained health instead of my restless hands destroying it any further. Also, the Lord is using this sickness to train me in patience, in hopefully waiting for His promises to come to pass. The Lord is faithful in His word and when He declares that by His stripes, I am healed from even physical ailment, it is so. However, there are instantaneous healing and there are healing that occur over time. Through it, the Lord builds my patience, crucial to my character, further multiplying the hope that He has first given me. And after five days of torturous post–steroidal side effects, God has indeed taken me through.
Problems and trials…help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. (Romans 5:3b–5a)
Secondly, the Lord showed me the immense love and care that the Church has for me. For months, my Life Group and leaders have been praying for my complete restoration. Even when I returned to Riverlife Church, many people for me to receive my healing as soon as possible. One of my ex-churchmates even grieved over the sickness that caused my suffering. At school, believers from different churches, some more conservative and others more charismatic, continue to pray for my healing, that God would end my suffering as soon as possible and grant me mercy and relief from the chronic eczema. Friends whom I admittedly am not too close to also join in to pray for my health. Truly, I see the Church unite in crises for the glory of God. With regard to the Church, I am also pleasantly surprised that many believers have been encouraged by the faith that I display, for not throwing in the towel in trusting God and persevering in this fight of faith. It has spurred them on to trust God more with their life and challenges, drawing them closer to Him. It has increased Christ-centeredness and trust, two crucial elements of our faith. May the Church grow closer to God and follow His direction far closer than before.
…the effective prayer of the righteous avail much. (James 5:16b)
Thirdly, I see true love in action. Love that just goes on one–on–one dinners, involves romance between a couple and the happiest honeymoon of all time is not true love, but love that endures all suffering to be with another. My mother has been the greatest pillar of support throughout these five days, tirelessly cleaning after me hour after hour. When I literally could not move, she would be the one to clean me and moisturise my skin. She is my food supplier even when she was exhausted. In the middle of the night when the itches seize my body and the discomfort, my soul, she would awake from her incomplete slumber and help me. In the midst of the suffering, I asked God, “Save me or waste me” and gave up on myself. Well, God never gave up on me, neither did my mom, who prayed with me time and again to keep the faith and keep trusting in the Lord. In my ugliest and smelliest moments, my mom was by my side, persevering with through the five days of post–steroidal hell. My dad and brother also gathered frequently to partake of the Holy Communion as a family, inviting Jesus to take control over my sickness once again. Love is not superficial. True love goes all the way, beyond human imagination, where only God can fathom and what God provides us humans with—a tiny glimpse of His great love for us. If what I had been through physically was hell, how much greater the magnitude in Jesus’ suffering—for you and for me? True love truly perseveres, and such love only God supplies.
Love…always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:7d)
On 11 May 2015, Joel has successfully overcome the post–steroid cold turkey experience. While it is not something I would want to experience again, it certainly had taught me a lot. I have quite a bit to catch up in terms of schoolwork, but nothing is impossible. The first hurdle in my healing has been overcome; now it’s restoration of my long–term eczema. Post–cold turkey, I have better control over my scratching tendencies, better responsibility over my medication and closer relationships with God and my family. Not that it was from God, but that indeed God turned the bad into good. Maybe not in an instant, maybe we still had to walk through the darkest valley and maybe the future is worse than today, but in everything God is with us. And if God is for us, nothing can stand against us! (Romans 8:31)
And we know in all things that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
–Joel Kindiak, 05.11.15
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