Don't Waste Your Cancer
John Piper has written a powerful article on the eve of his surgery; read it here.
Don't Waste Your Cancer
Praise God for John Piper's cancer! Pray for his recovery but even more pray for his strength in Christ Jesus to continue glorifying God in his health and sickness. The most powerful prayer is "Your (God's) will be done!"; especially if you really mean it.
Tag(s): cancer
Don't Waste Your Cancer
Praise God for John Piper's cancer! Pray for his recovery but even more pray for his strength in Christ Jesus to continue glorifying God in his health and sickness. The most powerful prayer is "Your (God's) will be done!"; especially if you really mean it.
Tag(s): cancer
posted by Bryan at 6:22 AM
8 Comments:
You're on the right track! God forbid, indeed. You see, it is God's will, one way or the other. The comfort for the Christian is that we know for sure that God means it for good. (This is the same thing that Voltaire never could understand.)
No matter what happens, if a person builds his life on Jesus' words, then he can stand strongly. But to those without the assurance of God's love, without the knowledge that there is a Sovereign God who is always in control of everything, then they have no way of standing... nothing on which to stand.
I praise God for John Piper's cancer because it allows him to powerfully speak to other people who are going through similar trials in their lives. I also pray for his recovery and continued health, but in all things I pray that God's will be done, because He understands what is best even if we never do. And that is why John Piper doesn't want to waste his cancer... this opportunity God has given him!
It may be useful to consider our natures. Which do you remember more; the time your mother gently asked you not to do something, or the spanking your father gave you after you did it anyway?
Do you blame your father for the pain of your spanking? Do you blame your mother, for not speaking more forcefully? Or, do you blame yourself for not listening to your parents?
Did your father spank you because he hates you, or because he likes to see you suffer, or because he loves you and wants you to listen to him and your mother (thereby avoiding even bigger problems than a spanking)?
Pain and suffering are the result of man rebelling against God. Yet, God is sovereign and in charge. He allows events such as tsunamis and hurricanes, as well as cancers and heart attacks, in order for us to discover that we need Him. If God were to continually bless our lives and make us always happy and content then we would never see a reason to turn to Him. As a result, we would end up being eternally separated from Him. God allows pain and suffering because He loves us!
Hey Will, Read John 15. Jesus tells His disciples to abide in Him WHILE the Father prunes us. Pruning is designed to make us fruitful in the Kingdom. If you see cancer (or any other horrible thing we endure) as all "loss" then you miss the point. Your focus is on self. Our focus must be on God's glory above all. He is glorified when we do all for His glory and that includes doing what John Piper is doing.
I would trade my health if it meant I would be as fruitful in the Kingdom as John Piper.
In Christ
Mike Ratliff
The key is the understanding that God is sovereign and that He always tells the truth.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)
If God is always in charge and causes everything to work for good for the Christian, then we can confidently praise God for the things that seem bad. We may never understand the reason, or how it will work for good, but we are sure none the less.
This also answers your question to Mike. It's God who is sovereign and determines things. It is not our place to attempt to "force God's hand" or to try turn Him into our personal genie.
And he [Satan] took him [Jesus] to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
(Luke 4:9-12 ESV)
Thanks Bryan. Yes, God is sovereign we are in process. No, I would not do anything to "force Gods Hand". I don't want to suffer, but I do want to be fruitful in the Kingdom. If God decides to cause suffering in my life then I must submit, yes cry for help and comfort in the process, but going forward with God IN HIS STREGNTH. This is what John Piper is doing.
Mike Ratliff
Hey Will, I tend to be quite blunt sometimes. Thank God there are believers like Bryan who take the time to explain things in a softer more understandable way.
In any case. The article at the link below may help you understand this.
In Christ
Mike Ratliff
http://walkingthewalkbyfaith.blogspot.com/2006/02/back-to-fundamentals_114048542532310093.html
I went and took a look. It's amazing how something so devastating can be used for power to strengthen faith. Bless his heart. I wrote a story this month about little Rebekah's fight with cancer. She is a blogger who just went through the most horrible ordeal, but after much prayer and continuance of faith, she is declared cancer free. It started last year when she was three. If you want to read the story, it's at www.christianwomenonline.net/rebekah.html
This looks like an ad, but it's not meant to be, so many of us bloggers were so blessed by Rebekah and have been following her story since last year. I'm reminded of that when I read your entry today.
Hi Bryan--
Are you not posting any more? I'm daily visiting your blog, but.. Would be happy to read again what's on.
By the way, blogging on the road is not too complicated. I do it regularly in car and train.
Yrs Ben Oehler
http://inawe.wordpress.com
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