The Broken are More Evolved
By Alan Griffin
KidsnChrist
You know who you are. You have struggled one way or another all your life. We are the lonely, the poor, the sick, the hungry, the drug-addicted, and the downtrodden. It would be easy to feel sorry for ourselves. We are single moms and dads. We are those who care for our elderly parents at a great cost to our own personal freedom. It would be easy for us to give up, but we never do. We daily stand our ground and continue the grind of life. What if I told you your struggles are a blessing? When you are barely keeping your head above water, that you are really being called by God? What if I told you that you are more evolved than wise men, the strong men, and the rich men of this world? Your hardships make you available to a level of communication with God that most powerful people could ever imagine?
“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-30 (NASB)
I have struggled all my life. I went to 13 different schools in eleven different states. I have been in and out of the hospital and medical facilities. I had spinal meningitis when I was twelve. The disease destroyed my thyroid and adrenal glands. It took doctors thirty years to discover my condition. I struggled with weight loss and sickness. Twice I have had open-heart surgery. I have had hernias, my appendix removed, intestinal disease, and arthritis so bad I had to have my knees replaced. Through all my pains and sufferings, I had something very special that took me years to discover. I have a special relationship with God. It took me thirty years to unravel the blessings God wanted to bestow on me, but on November 8, 1997, I surrendered my life to my King and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Look at the Beatitudes in Matthews, chapter 5. It says, “Blessed or happy are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those that mourn. Happy are those who hunger and thirst for what is right. Happy are the merciful and the pure at heart. Happy are those who are persecuted for what is right.” The Bible says, “to rejoice, for your reward in heaven is great.” Jesus came to earth to save those of us who are lost. He came for the poor, the hungry, and those who suffer here on earth. He came for the sick because He is the Great Physician. But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick” Matthew 9:12 (NASB)
Too many times we have turned our back on God and suffered our broken condition alone. When we neglect our relationship with Him, we suffer undue hardship. Without our daily devotions and our refilling of the Holy Spirit, we let our old ways creep back into our thoughts. We start to look back at the lifestyle we had before our rebirth. It is a very dangerous thing indeed. We open our self-up to apostasy, the falling away from God. “But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:26 (NASB) We can never go back. There is nothing there for us. To look back is to deny the truth that God has bestowed upon us. We are to always look forward to our wonderful relationship with God in heaven and the redemption of our bodies. He is here waiting and wanting to help us overcome the trials of this world. He is here wanting to help us overcome the roadblocks that prevent us from receiving the wonderful blessings He has in store for us. These blessings are ours regardless of the physical condition we are in.
Some of God’s most dedicated people suffered from all sorts of diseases and mental disorders. Many Christians who are suffering today will continue to do so until they pass on to heaven. There are some who cite their good health to judge those of us who suffer from afflictions as punishment. Many times, when suffering has struck an individual or a family people of the Christian community say we are being punished because of a specific sin we have committed. This is simply not true. There are times when a person’s lifestyle is directly to blame for their tragedy. But in most cases, we are simply the pawns of a world cursed by sickness and disease.
There are people who say we lack faith for if we were strong believers the atonement of Jesus Christ’s shed blood would heal us. These people are well-meaning but are poorly informed. Often illness brings us closer to God and, like many others, we pray for God’s healing. Look at the Apostle Paul. By my measure, he was the greatest Apostle of them all. In 2 Corinthians we read where Paul had a thorn in his flesh, and a messenger from Satan tormented him, preventing him from exalting himself. He prayed 3 times for the condition to leave him, but God only responded to his request by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” And Paul responds to God by saying, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 (NASB)
There are countless times when God heals in miraculous ways, answering our prayers, and bringing forth wonderful stories of healing. God knows what is best for us. In my life, I have suffered greatly, and it seems the times of being completely well are far and few between. However, I thank the Lord for the trials that I face. They have placed me here before you on this keyboard. He has given me the desire to share with you the wonderful revelations of His Word. Who knows where I would be if it were not for the sicknesses I have suffered in my life? I consider my shortcomings as a blessing from God. He has taken the time to use my infirmities as an avenue to seek out further counsel from Him. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NASB)
God does not call the certified, those being trained to perform a job. He certifies the called. Training us regardless of our abilities. Our Christian churches today are filled with men and women who have the education to lead but were never called by God to do so. So many of our churches are struggling because the wrong people are leading them, and unfortunately, the right people are failing to step forward. Sadly, we are standing back and letting our Christian society decline. “…I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. Luke 10:21 (NASB) We as infants are neglecting our Christian duty to serve. We stand afar off because we are still babies in Christ. We do not yet have the confidence to serve because we neglect our daily devotions. Many of us say we are not capable of performing a job. We fail to understand that confidence does not come from us. It comes from God through daily Bible study and prayer. We will always be babes in Christ until we go to work on our studies.
It is time we stand up for Christ. Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6 (NASB) It is time we take our place in history. It is time we unite as one in Christ. It is time for us to accept our inheritance as sons and daughters of God. It is time we serve our Savior and share His name with all we meet. Why is it time? Because He sacrificed His life on that cross for us. He stood up for us and paid the price we could not bear to pay. We have some things. He had everything and gave it up for us. There is no other reason on this earth for Him to go through what He did, save one. He loves us!!! It is time for us to commit our lives. It is time for us to consider our sufferings a blessing from God. It is time for us to get down on our knees and thank God for the life He has given us. It is time we started serving in a Bible-based Christian church. It is time we shared our experiences with others, and how God has molded us into His family.
It is time to live for Christ.
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Alan Griffin started the Kindsnchrist ministries in November 1997. He has worked with inner city kids for 21 years. He found a need for specialized Biblical literature that would reach people fo all ages and has been writing since 2005. The ministry has expanded their websites to reach around the world. Kindsnchrist.com, millennialchristian.com, teensnchrist.com, seniorsnchrist.com, picture-verse.com, and soulworks-smallgroups.com. We had an outreach of over 13,000,000 people last year with 36,000,000 impressions. If you have any questions for Alan you can reach him at alan@kidsnchrist.com
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