How do you speak the Gospel into that?
How Do You Speak the Gospel Into That?
Recently, I talked to my orthopedic surgeon, and he explained to me the limitations I would have with my knee replacement. “You’re never going to run again or play basketball.” I was stunned. I don’t have a meniscus in my right knee; it’s filled with arthritis and bone spurs. It feels like every step I take, I have rocks in my knee, and it’s constantly painful. But in that moment, when I heard those words of limitation…I seriously reconsidered having the surgery. I can still play basketball and run on my old knee…yes, it’s extremely painful, but I can still do it. It’s not good for me, but I love basketball, and running is a part of my responsibility in the Air Force. The thought of a limitation…the thought of never being able to do something I’ve always been able to do…stopped me cold in my tracks. With a new knee, I won’t experience pain anymore…but I won’t be able to do all that I want to. It was devastating.
How do you speak the Gospel into that?
I was recently talking with a close friend and, in many ways, a mentor. She was sharing with me the struggles of getting older and the challenges we all face eventually. Our bodies aren’t as strong, or fast, or recover as quickly. Our minds begin to slow down, our memories fade, and things that we once took for granted begin to slip between our fingers like a handful of sand. No amount of vitamins, or exercise, or sleep, or diet will stop the aging process. While the thought is discouraging, living it out is devastating.
How do you speak the Gospel into that?
In another conversation in the gym, I was talking to a friend about everything going on in the world. The conversation turned to the 28-year-old woman in the Netherlands who is choosing euthanasia instead of living with mental illness. Physically, she’s young and healthy, but she struggles with autism, depression, and borderline personality disorder. Upon hearing from her psychiatrist that her condition will never improve, she will never get better…she chose death instead. It’s devastating to think of someone driven to such a decision.
How do you speak the Gospel into that?
My friend answered that question. It’s only devastating when there is no Jesus, when there is no hope.
2 Cor. 12:7-10
Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Physical weakness, old age, and mental illness…how do you speak the Gospel into everyday, real-life struggles? You remind yourself and others that our only hope is in Jesus. You see, it is good for us to struggle physically and mentally and to grow old. It’s in our weakness that we come to the end of ourselves and realize that we aren’t the answer. It’s in our weaknesses that we come face to face with the reality that God is God, and we are not. We desperately need Him every hour. The moment we begin living for our own glory and not His, the moment we take our eyes off Him is the moment we begin to struggle. We struggle with depression, and doubt, and limitations, and old age. But it’s precisely in those moments that God reveals Himself to us.
How do you speak the Gospel into that?
The response I’m learning is what Paul is teaching. We should boast about our weaknesses to bring glory to God by declaring our great need for Him. My physical body is failing me, but Jesus never will. My mind will falter and turn on itself, but Jesus will always be my hope and what is best for me. Before I ever heard the name of Jesus, He knew my name. He knew every wicked thought and rebellious action I would ever take. He knew how broken I was, but He still chose to love me in my brokenness. If I’m honest, that’s a truth that’s often hard to believe. I know my own sin better than any other human, and yet He still loves me.
Yes, in this life, I’ll never run again or play basketball, a sport I dearly love. That’s the reality. But the reality is also that God is writing my story. He knows my past, present, and future. He knows what is best for me, even if I can’t see it in the moment. He knows what’s best for those around me, even if I care more about me than them. He knows how He wants to use my life for His glory and my good. If my heart is submitted to my Creator, my Master, my King, my Lord…my Father, then I’ll trust that He knows best and will cling to Him even tighter.
This is a daily reminder for me because I struggle in my sinful humanity. I want what I want. The only way I can live as Paul instructed is by taking every thought captive, filling my mind with the Scriptures, praying constantly, and ultimately…relying on the Holy Spirit to finish the good work He started in me.
How do you speak the Gospel into that? By reminding yourself of Jesus and the hope that He offers.
In Process with You!
Patrick
