Sanctification and Arthritis

My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

…what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberances about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail or our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each others as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.
Galations 5:16-18, 22-23, 25-26
(The Message)

Do you feel the utter conflict and struggle of Galations 5:16-18?

The freedom motivation of God’s Spirit vs. The root of self-interest and selfishness

The desire to live the God Way vs. The desire to live the self-serving way

The choosing of Spirit leading vs. erratic and compulsive sin life

Oh the utter overwhelming! Remember, Paul is talking to believers in this passage. We are constantly living in the reality of experiencing God-fruit in our lives with the constant temptation to yield and produce fruit to the glory of our self, that which is contrary to who we are in Christ! Oh Lord, help me take off this heavy and debilitating flesh that keeps me far, far from you.

The Bradford clan recently spent a few days in Marion, Indiana with precious friends. Indiana has sky that is big and rolling and beautiful and sunsets fill and paint with colors unattainable to any artist other than the creator of all color and beauty. The farmers plow the good earth with their tractors and the air smells of deep and rich and fertile aromas. The corn will soon be reaching up toward the sky and the ground will be transformed with glorious carpets of wheat and soybeans.

In the retreat of my friend’s home, I spent some moments reading Unveiled Faces by Keith Drury. He is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University and his book deals with spiritual disciplines. Much of his writing spoke on subjects I was quite familiar with such as prayer, fasting, confession, etc. However, there was one subject that truly captured my mind—response. I am not sure I had ever read or heard of response in the sense of a traditional spiritual discipline. Certainly, I know of the concept of responding to life as a Jesus-follower. However, I suppose Drury’s words forced me to see that response is a constant discipline. I set aside time for prayer and meditation and community and bible reading. Those practices are captured in moments of specific time. However, response is taking the whole sum of my Christian life and learning to respond to circumstances in a way that exalt Christ. Response is the part of me putting into practice the character of Christ. As I pondered, I recognized this is the hard part.

Paul’s powerful question from Galations 5:18 keeps resounding for me, “Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit?” Romans 6:22-23 (NIV) comes to mind, “…you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Understanding and living and responding is all a part of the process God uses to sanctify me into more of the likeness of His Son. My life (and your life) is the laboratory where my belief is tested for its influence on my action. It is me living and asking, “How is this circumstance at work in my life to make me more like Jesus? How do I need to respond?”

In the midst of (re)learning this truth, it was suddenly put to the test less than forty-eight hours after leaving Indiana. On a scheduled doctor visit for my youngest son Evan, we learned that he has arthritis. Initially I’m thinking, “This is what grandparents have, not my four-year-old! Why is this happening to him, he has had so much to face already in his short life!” I certainly do not have many answers for this. I struggle for my son and the painful stretches we will put him through twice a day for who knows how long! I struggle in knowing that sickness and pain and death are all a part of living in fallen bodies. I hear the doctor telling me and my wife she is hopeful he will get past this and make it to what she described as—perfect. How will I respond?

Well…this I know. Perfect is the place where I will gladly hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Perfect will be putting away this body of flesh for the body of glory. Perfect will be knowing perfectly as I am known. Perfect will be staring into the face of the one who redeemed me by his grace. Perfect will come in understanding this profound mystery. Perfect will be enjoying satisfaction and joy and worship I only come to know in the smallest sliver on this planet.

Perfect will be better than the feeling I got when I saw my exit—109 on I-75—after a nearly two thousand mile journey. I was tired. I was sad. My heart felt low. My mind felt overwhelmed. (I remember thinking I was glad I did not live in Miami Beach.) The off-ramp gave me tender hope. When I rounded the curve at the top of the hill, I saw the brick structure I call home. (Honestly, I have taken hold of a saying of a former classmate, “Home is where my wife sleeps.”) My key slipped effortlessly into the doorknob. The turn gave a sense of security. Later in the evening, I plopped on the bed and joyfully felt my head hit the pillow. Perfect, almost.

Father, help me respond with hope, because one day, all things will be made new. Remind me that your great hope is what gives me courage to respond in faith daily. Grant grace to my son. Help us look ahead in that we find great strength when we are greatly weak. Help me to count this new trial as joy by knowing you are perfecting me in it (see James 1:2-4). Sustain me for that day, when after persevering by your sustaining grace, me and my boy will know perfect. Amen.