Forty percent of the American population deal everyday with incurable and ongoing chronic disease. Heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, arthritis, fibromyalgia, IBS, asthma and depression, to name a few, all cause pain and suffering. Often people look perfectly fine on the outside but inside, there is an ongoing struggle to live healthy and active lives.
The feelings of pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, brain fog and isolation are common among the chronically ill. They have some good and some bad days. The bad days stop them in their tracks, rob them of their joy and keep them from living up to their full potential.
As humans, we often question why God allows this misery into our lives. We wonder why we must suffer , and why no one understands our struggles. We live in such a broken, fallen world with death and destruction all around us.
We may not like it, but the fact is that suffering refines us. In Isaiah 48:10, it says, “Behold I have refined you, but not as silver, I have tested you in the furnace of affliction”. We see our strengths and weaknesses during these difficult periods in our lives.
Suffering produces growth. James 1:2-4 states, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance”.
The Lord tells us in Jeremiah 18, “You are like clay in the potter’s hand and I am the potter”. We are all clay, pounded, reshaped and honed by fire. So, remember when dealing with others, they may be struggling with battles you know nothing about. Be kind and compassionate with everyone you meet.
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