Hate is a strong word. I hate the flu. I hate being sick.
There is nothing worse than having the flu. In sickness, I become grumpy, short-tempered and self-focused. I do not want to talk to anyone, and I like to spend my sickness watching The Price is Right and sleeping.
Sickness reminds us both intellectually and physically that we live in a broken world. This is not how it was supposed to be. The flu is not supposed to be a part of our lives as humans. Sin has made our lives hard and unbearable at times. Yet, there is hope that one day Christ is going to make all things new, and we will never have to deal with the flu or any other sickness again.
Nevertheless, until the time that Christ makes all things new, for many of us, sickness is a yearly ordeal.
Three Ways to handle the flu:
- Get some rest. My first reaction to sickness is to power through it; however, this is not always the best course of action. God has created our bodies to fight against foreign intruders, but this takes up lots of energy. We need to slow down, rest and let our bodies’ work the way that God designed them to work.
- Get some perspective. For me, sickness is a way to remind me that I am not God. I like to think I am super-human, but I am not all-powerful and the world runs without me. Often this is a hard pill for me to swallow.
- Get humble. For me, this is the hardest part of being sick. My natural desire is to be self-focused. Thoughts like these run through my head, “Look at me. I am so sick and helpless. Everyone serves me.” This is nothing more than my flesh continuing to war with the new man. God calls Christians to be humble, always. Not just when we feel like being humble. Therefore, take extra caution to pray for humility during times of sickness. Pray for the grace to serve those who are around you, even if you are cooped up in bed.
Being sick stinks. I totally get it. And yet, Jesus calls us to follow him no matter how we feel. Pray that you would advance the gospel even with the flu.
Photo Credit: Leonid Mamchenkov by CC License
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