Thanks for the Memories...Reminders Really.

Every so often I am tempted to fall in with the Health and Wealth Gospel folks. Make no mistake, I am truly not one of them, but I will sometimes catch myself thinking in their terms.

For instance, this school year has been one of personal growth for me, by God's grace. After seeing my beautiful wife's remarkable success, I decided to put myself on Weight Watchers to deal with those pesky pounds I added after getting married, taking a desk job, and just being older than 25. (All of those milestones in just one year). And you know, it's been slow, but it's working. I combined that with a decision to get up early and walk 2 miles every morning. Unlike most of my past New Years' resolution-type delusions of grandeur, this seemed to set the bar high enough to be beneficial, but low enough to be attainable. Also, I used the walk as a daily time of prayer (the real reason it's working, by God's grace). 30-35 minutes of concentrated, consistent, daily prayer has been a life-transforming practice. To be clear, it is not that prayer is some powerful personal mantra, but that looking daily to my personal Savior Jesus Christ has created in me a clearer understanding of His majesty; and my inability to meet God's standards in any area of life without Him. The list continues: consistent daily Bible reading, delving into good Christian books, more responsibilities at work; I even dug out my old Greek books from college and am starting to work on re-learning it.

Yes, I was really starting to make progress. Until... you ever have that one week at work where it all just explodes and it seems like you did nothing that week, but in fact you worked just as hard or harder than usual? Combine that with one of the cars breaking down (God has blessed me with a few automotive skills... which is good because we rarely have money to pay someone else to fix a vehicle). So I am in for a couple of nights of wrenching on the same week. Then, last weekend hits. I come home Friday night to a broken washing machine. Again, by God's grace I am able to fix it. Now the second vehicle is in need of repair. Suddenly the kids are sick; then, the wife and me. I spent all of this past week dragging my sorry sick behind to work, and basically nothing else.

And so, on this beginning to Thanksgiving Week, I want to thank God for two weeks of broken stuff and a broken body. These are great reminders of the truths of His Word. Truths that debunk my misplaced trust in health and wealth.

Sickness and death are a result of sin:

Romans 5:19
For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

So through Adam's sin we were made sinners (and received the condemnation he received, namely: death). But the One, Jesus, obeyed God (to death on the Cross), and His obedience makes me righteous because of repentance and faith I have in Him. Look at what the verse does not say. That through the obedience of the One the many will be made well, or healthy, or rich.

In fact, Hebrews 9:27 states:
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.

Death is still coming, and so is judgment. I thank God that in Christ I am spared from His judgment because of Jesus' righteousness credited to me.

So physically I will die (it has been appointed by God). Getting sick, and stuff breaking, is a reminder of the Fall. For which, I thank God for the reminder because it inevitably brings to remembrance the mercy of Jesus in saving my soul from destruction; and, the eventual health and wealth waiting for me in Heaven. (Revelation 21-22; Matthew 6:19-21).