Working Through the Sickness

by Jerry D Ousley

    I’m a little stubborn, or so I am told by my wife. Currently I am coming to the end of my first ever battle with COVID. So, after stubbornly refusing to see a doctor, I finally caved today and went with my so very loving wife. That’s how I know we are coming to the end of that. 

    But during the sickness I refused to stop working. Now, I have the best customers in the world. Those that knew I had been sick told me not to worry about their work but just catch it up when I could. I have no doubt that all the others I currently work with would say the same thing if they knew. But having work back up worries the dickens out of me. So, the stubborn in me insisted that I get it done. That’s on me; no one else. So, I’m trying to work through the sickness. The only blame I can give to me - No one else. 

     There is another “working through the sickness” however that does not stem from stubbornness but is actually healthy. It is working through the sickness of sin. Paul said “We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Roman’s 3:23).    “All” means every single one of us. We face it each and every day. Do we have to sin?  Nope. But more than likely we have and will. 

     Sin is the sickness that came into this world when Adam and Eve failed in the first part of the Bible. And we have been doing it ever since. 

Of course, we know that Jesus has the cure for sin sickness because of the free gift He gives us because of His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection three days later (see Romans 6:23). Now, only He has the right to give this free gift. All we have to do is reach out and receive it. 

     That gift frees us from the punishment of sin but it becomes a chore to get through the temptation each and every day. That’s what we mean by working through the sickness.   We have to beat the old sin nature down every day. Some days we are successful and some days we aren’t. That’s why John wrote “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (see 1John 2:1-2).   

We can work through it. Whether today is a victory day or a defeat day, we win and proceed ever forward. Never give up. When we fail Jesus is there to help us up and encourage us to keep going. When we succeed, He is there to say, ”well done”. Regardless, if we continue to work through the sickness, we always win. so, keep on working!

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.