Are Illness/Disability and Christian Ministry Incompatible? - Part 3

Reason 5

I am challenged also that we are called to live by faith and not by sight.  What we see and do is not the whole story of ministry. Ministry has to be about what God is doing.  Even though He uses us as 'clay pots' for His purposes, His purposes are greater than the obvious activity of the pot.  Just because in my scope of vision I 'see less' happening according to my idea of 'ministry accomplishments', does not mean God has stopped working.  God is much bigger than that!  Just like I mentioned in a previous blog post about marriage being an unexpected ministry, so is my illness/disability.  

Comments and questions from those around us have shown us that God has been pleased to demonstrate various aspects of Christian living through this situation such as: 

• A husband caring for his wife 'in sickness and in health' instead of sending her back to her village to be cared for by her mother; 
• not being ashamed of getting around in a wheelchair including even fully reclined in the wheelchair (laying horizontal) in public such as in church, and at a restaurant; 
• trusting God with joy and contentment even when healing does not come;
• God can still use someone in productive ministry with a disability.  

These are all 'behind the scenes' aspects of God at work - ministering - through us, aspects that may not be what we consider our main 'ministry'.  But in God's eyes and purposes, they are just as significant as any 'obvious' ministry that we envisaged.  God wants to reach people's hearts, and this has all been part of reaching hearts with the reality of the gospel.

Reason 6

We know very well that we are in the front line of a Spiritual Battle and our struggle is not ultimately with the 'physical' issues.  We are totally convinced that Satan doesn't want us here and in addition to health issues has tried again and again and again to discourage us and make us want to quit and go home.  And he will certainly make every effort to hamper ministry and try to inhibit the truth reaching people's hearts....and so we value your partnership in prayer in this battle as 'with thanksgiving' we make our requests to a loving and almighty heavenly Father.

Reason 7

But we have learnt (and are very much still learning) that God is sovereign and more powerful than Satan. In addition, this world's momentary troubles, are all about working God's eternal purposes in His world and in the hearts of folks here in Botswana. We are limited by our own perspective on the circumstances around us, and so we instead trust in God's sovereign plans and purposes in and for those circumstances.  Even what Satan plans for evil, God is busy planning for good (as the story of Joseph and his brothers demonstrated) 

By His grace, God is working greater plans than we can see, and we can also rest in the knowledge that we are on the 'victory side' and His promise is true that 'as your days, so shall your strength be'..... with your prayers, we are compelled to press on.  

So do I think that illness/disability and ministry are ultimately incompatible?

 - By God's grace, absolutely not!