Tonight, my friend Jess and I watched "My Sister's Keeper." It was a dec movie but the thing that got me most was how mature this 13 or 14-year-old girl truly was. Kate had cancer and so many times she had to be the one to bring her family back to reality and to bring them back together. She lived her life in constant pain but yet she never complained.
This theme is something that has really plagued my heart these past few months. Our bodies are in such despair after the Fall--yearning to be perfected and lifted beyond the weight of sin. We are in constant physical, mental, and emotional pain and some of us more than others. The thing is, we often complain and focus on that pain so much that we look for a quick out.
That's not His plan. That, my friends, is how NOT to glorify God. God asks us to glorify Him in all situations and to rise above those moments. Each of these moments are character-building times. It can be as subtle as not popping that aspirin when you get that headache or not downing that caffeine when you got 6 hours of sleep rather than the usual 8 you're used to.
See, when we are comfortable with our non-headache periods of time or with our restful night of sleep, it is SO easy to be a "good" or "nice" person. Only when the mask of comfort is removed do we see our true selves. Only in those moments can we truly hone in on our character and who God calls us to be. It's easy to read Scripture when you're body isn't aching. It's easy to love your friend well when you've gotten plenty of rest. It's easy to keep your temper under control when you're not hungry.
I often get headaches--often bad ones and even several migraines. Unless it is critical for me to be without that type of pain (i.e. driving long distances) I strive to fight through that pain without medicine. It is in these circumstances I am able to be stripped away of what I often hide behind--comfort. It is in these circumstances I am able to see myself for who I truly am. It is in these circumstances that I am forced to alter my attitude for the good of others and for the good of glorifying God anyways.
Medicine can be and is a very vital tool for life, yes. BUT don't let it be your out. Don't let it rob you of the ability to see yourself for who you truly are. I beg you to evaluate the necessity of that medicine you're taking. It's usually covering up a deeper issue. That anxiety medicine...why do you have anxiety? That antidepressant medicine...why are you depressed? I understand that it can be chemical and all biological reasons, but what if it isn't. Aren't you then just running away from the deeper issue and coating it with numbness?
The next time you snap at someone, aren't thinking rationally, or are being a bad friend to someone don't use the same excuse. Don't say it's because you're tired, hungry, or in physical pain. That may be the case, but is that the cause or the cover? Why let Satan pick you off as an easy target?
