I had started to write a blog about Chronic Illness and why we haven’t experienced healing. For anyone who deals with one or more medical issues, I see you. I know it can be easy to lose hope. But when it all comes down to it, healing doesn’t come for everyone here on earth. What is most important is what we do between here and heaven.
What is most important is what we do between here and heaven.
I look at the bible verses about suffering. How in our suffering there are blessings.
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And I can say I have more of a tendency to turn to God because I know there are days I can’t do without His strength. In our suffering we are weak (we turn to God). God makes us strong in our suffering and we learn and get a glimpse of what Jesus endured for us. Honestly, I think you have to be a pretty darn strong person to get out of bed and do life when your body fights you. Suffering allows us to be more compassionate towards others. When our life is perfect, it’s easy to tell people to get over themselves and pull it together. But in suffering is the understanding that some things are not in our control. Jesus came and suffered on this earth for that very reason. He knows pain, he knows sickness, he knows physical suffering.
4 Steps To Live Better With Chronic Illness
1. You are not your illness – Adjusting Your Mind
Our minds, our actions towards others, our love, our compassion. Those are what define us. We can still be a good person with a broken body. Spend more time honoring your heart and mind than allowing your body to dictate who you are. The enemy wants nothting more than you to be depressed and anxious and upset with God. We’ve all wondered why God allows us to go through this, maybe for the same reasons Jesus had to suffer.
2. Focus on the “Cans” and Not the “Can Not’s”
I know this one is tough. On a pain day, on a day where we just want to stay in bed and ignore the world, it’s easier said than done to not get caught up in your own head. But even on my hardest days, there are things I can do. And I will do. Maybe I have to scratch something off my list that I wanted to do. The enemy wants me to then, wallow in that and be angry with God. Instead, focus on your blessings and your can’s. You’ll see a major shift in your heart and mind. In the process of doing, it can even take your mind off of your illness for a while and that’s always a blessing.
3. Do Something For Your Body
Sometimes I feel like it’s all I can do to function for the day. And I want to sit around and eat food that makes me happy and watch a movie or go back to bed. But giving in, or feeling sorry for our situation only compounds it.
For me I’d love to get in a massive workout and be in optimal health. But ya know what? My body won’t let me do that. So instead of that I have my “walk and worship” time.
My walk and worship time includes a very slow pace walk, worship music blasting in my ears, typing up a new blog and every now and again letting the worship penetrate my soul. (Just hold on and remember to keep walking if the spirit takes over and you need a hand raising worship moment).
Maybe you are in too much pain for walking. What can you move? In bed hand weights? A few chair exercises? Some stretching? A warm bath? Face mask? The idea here is don’t get in the habit of doing nothing because there are things you can’t do. Instead adjust your expectations and do the things you can do for your body. In some cases, we make our conditions worse because we feed it junk food, and we don’t get any movement in. So, we add issues upon issues. Do what you can to properly nourish and take care of yourself.
4. Create Goals
Set small achievable goals for something, anything, in your life. Maybe it’s to journal every day. Read your bible. Check in on a friend once a week. Get to church. You get the idea. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing that is impossible with health concerns. But without goals, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of not feeling well and then not doing anything at all which makes you feel even worse. To obtain a goal you will have to get a bit out of your comfort zone. So, as long as your doctor approves it or it’s not going to cause an issue with your health, push yourself.
But I’m So Depressed!
I notice when talking to people with health issues as well as dealing with my own, is that depression is a major issue. People begin to define themselves by their illness. “I have cancer therefore I am cancer”, “I have fibromyalgia therefore I am fibromyalgia”, you get the idea. And so, their every waking moment is about their health. The words they speak give more and more power to their health over everything else they can do, who they are, or what they are capable of doing.
When we take our minds off of suffering and more on joy. When we take it off of the can’t do’s and onto the can do’s. We experience a shift. And we tell the enemy, “not today!” I know there’s a bucket list of things you want to do. So do I. But wishing for something you can’t do won’t make it something you can or will. It’ll just be upsetting. So let go of those things, give them to God and move into the things you can do and those new things maybe God is laying on your heart to do.
