Faithful in Pain

If your calling in life seems lowly, you are likely to receive a greater commendation. Why? Because a deeper kind of obedience is necessary when submitting to God in a low calling -- it's tough to remain faithful to God through poverty or pain. The one who is faithful in tough times catches God's eye.

Joni Eareckson Tada, Diamonds in the Dust

This quote was from this AM's online devotional that I get daily in my email. This is the second or third time I've been through this book and, like My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, I get more out of it every time I read it.  Why? 1) because they are both written by mature, Spirit-filled believers and 2) Because I'm never in the same "place" emotionally, experientially, or in my level of spiritual growth as I was the other times I read them.  So what I passed by before without much impact, may this time clobber me over the head with that Holy Spirit "WHAMMO" that can knock me to my knees or back on my heels. 

So what struck me today?  Of late I've been concerned about my value spiritually.  I cannot serve in an official office in the church, or even vacuum the floors because of the limitations of pain and weakness that plague me.  I do try to pray but I confess that brain fog and distractions from SZ really do make that a challenge.  

This devotion by Joni was about the day of the White Throne Judgment when believers will be evaluated and rewarded.  And how we will see people like Corrie ten Boom and Paul and Oswald Chambers and feel like "how can I compare? I don't even belong in the same room as these people do. "  And Joni said, It is our faithfulness that God is looking for.  Whether you have been given many gifts to work with or even just a few and those have been couched in pain and suffering, God is looking to see what we have done with what we have been given.  And then came the beautiful quote above.

If I can only whisper a few prayers for others in a day; if I am only able to cook one or two meals a week for my family; if I can only attend church sporadically as pain allows---it is these things that will give God joy of rewarding his servants, who maybe didn't do amazing things but who never cursed God, never blamed him, never accused him accused him of injustice or cruelty---even when we have been encouraged by others to do just that.  "Curse God and die" suggested Job's wife...but Job --although he asked a lot of questions and bewailed his pain and anguish--did not offend God in anything that he said or thought.  THAT is the "deeper level of obedience"from which we have been challenged to live  and it is there that we will earn the biggest blessings and smiles from the Lord.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would like to quickly extend an apology to my church family for some comments in my last post.  Yes, I have had some remarks made that were hurtful and not based on any kind of real knowledge about my illness and its treatments...but by and large my church, my pastor and my believing friends have been supportive and always loving...I did not want anyone to think less of my church or The Church because on some emotional responses of mine.  If I offended you, I'm deeply sorry about that.