Are Illness/Disability and Christian Ministry Incompatible? - Part 2

Reason 2

I am reminded of many great Christians down through the ages who have had significant ministry and impact all the while with a constant battle with a physical limitation/health challenge.  

I think of:

• William Wilberforce who battled terrible times of pain and discomfort with Collitis alongside his years of work to end the slave trade
• Amy Charmichael - missionary to India - who spent many years before her death, bed-bound, but it was during that time that she wrote her many books
• Joni Eareckson Tada who has spent over 40 years as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair and has more recently additionally battled ongoing severe pain and cancer but has had immeasurable impact across the world in her work to help the disabled
• many of our favourite hymns were written by folks who experienced significant physical/mental suffering..... not to mention Fanny Crosby who was blind

And this is not to mention the Apostle Paul who had a 'thorn in the flesh' throughout his whole ministry.  Now there are some who will argue that we don't know what the 'thorn in the flesh' actually was.  I have had one Pastor give me his argument for why he believes it was just 'persecution' in general and not a physical health issue.  I beg to disagree since I think there is a great deal to indicate it was a problem that affected him in some physical way, not least because: he ended up taking a medical doctor along as his travel companion; the thorn is specifically said to be 'in the flesh'; and whatever it was, he says in his own words that it kept him 'weak' and God said to him "My grace is sufficient for you; for My strength is made perfect in weakness". (2 Cor 12:9) Thus Paul was able to go on to say that instead of wanting his 'thorn' to disappear, that he could 'glory' (boast, gain honour) in his infirmities. 

We can attest that God takes the 'weak' things of this world to shame the strong! (1 Cor 1:27)

Reason 3

I also believe that God not only can use us in spite of our physical weaknesses, pain and limitations, but because of them.  The Apostle Paul tells us in Galations 4:13-15 that it was because of a physical infirmity that Paul came to first preach to the Galations.  Somehow it seems that some of Paul's plans were 'changed' and worked around his time of 'sickness', so as to end up in a position that he had to be in Galatia and because of that had opportunity to preach the gospel, that he otherwise was not planning. These 'changed' plans were actually the plans God wanted to happen. I think too of the boy that Jesus healed and explained that the reason the boy was sick was so that God's glory could be revealed through the boy!  God let him be physically 'ill' so that Jesus could come along and heal him!  We might say, 'but Jesus healed him'.  But while that may be true, firstly God let him be 'sick' for many, many years before that because He had a plan!  While this might be hard for us to understand, we must also remember that God's ways are higher than our ways!  We are to trust in the Lord and not our own understanding (Prov 3:5,6)  It is a great encouragement to know that whatever our circumstances, (including illness) that God has a much bigger plan in mind to grow us and bless others as He works all things together for good!

In my own situation, it is because of being laid 'horizontal' and unable to read because of the worst early stages of my POTS, that I began listening to audio books and sermons which 'gave birth' to the idea of a audio solar player of bible teaching as a discipleship tool to use here.  Thus we were led to connect with MegaVoice and team with them to produce a collection of 'Storyteller' players with messages on various topics and the "Pocket Preacher" with 2 years of daily discipleship material. I would never have thought of the idea nor had time to listen to all the files we have put onto the player except for the 'limitations' I found myself with.  What seemed to be limitations, were actually God's facilitations! God is definitely not limited by what we might see as limitations - He's much, much bigger than that!

Reason 4

Having said all this, I also believe that times of difficulty and testing, are also times for us to be reminded that any ministry that is God's work needs to be done in His strength and power.  Our own effort in our own strength will be ultimately useless and ineffectual. When things 'go wrong',  we are prompted again to turn to the Lord in prayer, seeking Him to act and intervene, acknowledging it is "not by might nor by power but by My Spirit" says the Lord, "and that  the battle belongs to the Lord".

Read on in Part 3 for Reasons 5,6 & 7.....