Building endurance

Our conversation Sunday turned to the topic of health. (It almost always does if those talking are over sixty!) The doctor in the group mentioned the value of vitamin D. I piped up in agreement and boasted I had only one cold in twenty years. Make that two. I came down with a sore throat the next day and am coughing today.

Being a firm believer that nothing happens coincidently or randomly, I’m paying attention to the Holy Spirit even in the midst of my pity-party. He has a few reminders for me.

The first one is don’t boast without giving glory to God. Vitamin D is great stuff, but it is God who sovereignly controls my health. The principle is in these verses:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:13–17)

I should have said, “I take the vitamin every day, but it is God who keeps me healthy” or kept my mouth shut.

The next lesson is about suffering. In our culture, comfort is a high priority, so much so that most Christians ask God to fix anything and everything that makes them uncomfortable, particularly illness. However, James says this about any sort of suffering:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

Steadfast endurance is from a Greek word that means the power to withstand hardship or stress; especially the inward fortitude necessary. It is not a normal human trait. Consider a baby with an empty tummy or a full diaper! Consider most people with any sort of hardship or stress. It is usually met with complaining, grumbling or a self-produced grin-and-bear-it resignation. None of these compare with what God can produce if we let steadfastness do its work. He has in mind a calm acceptance and trust something like my mom often said, “We must need it or we wouldn’t be getting it.”

Her words teach me to accept and trust God for most things that come my way. I’ve often prayed, “Lord, if this is from You, I will accept it and learn from it. If not, You know what to do.” Most of the time “this” is quickly gone, but not always. Even an ordinary cold can teach me patience. This lesson is summed up in these words:

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits (like focusing on comfort rather than obedience), since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. (2 Timothy 2:3–4, addition is mine)

Another lesson is simple: pay attention to what my body is telling me. When I’m tired, don’t stay up late. Eat properly. Drink enough water. Quit trying to be super woman. Just because God promises to take care of me does not mean I can do whatever people half my age and with a normal heart can do. Duh. Taking the love of God for granted is not a bad thing unless it means listening to the enemy . . .

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” (Matthew 4:5–7)

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Lord Jesus, You are my Savior and Lord. Sometimes my biggest need is being saved from myself. I accept this rather small trial as Your way to build endurance in my life and to reinforce the above lessons. Thank You for making use of even the dumb things I do and say and using ALL things for my good, even a common cold.

Today’s thankful list . . .

Forgiveness for every time I forget or neglect what I already know.

For the hundreds of firefighters and others who were there when the towers came down.

Tests that build endurance.

God’s amazing care for my family.

A nice warm home and a frig full of food.

A nice nap.

Zucchini muffins.