Story about being healed by God

I don’t tell people this story often, but a few years ago God completely healed me from a disease. Let me explain.

I was at college in Adelaide. I was busy holding down a part-time job while studying full-time. There were lots of assignments, and my son (about one year old at the time) wasn’t sleeping well, so I was exhausted. Over the course of a couple of weeks I became very sick. I was tired and could hardly get out of bed. I had a fever and aching joints. Every time I swallowed it felt like sandpaper was rubbing on the back of my throat.

I finally went to the doctor. He examined me and found white spots on my tonsils: he diagnosed a severe case of bacterial tonsillitis, and prescribed me some antibiotics. I took the script to the pharmacist and she gave me some tablets. I took the medicine as directed, and crawled into bed. Within 36 hours I was a new man. God had completely healed me!

God works through the ordinary

Now you might be thinking “That’s not God healing you, that’s just a bunch of people doing their job. That’s just the ‘natural’ course of things.” Well, it might be the natural way, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing. God has chosen to work through ordinary things. And when God works through something ordinary, I think that’s more amazing than when he does something supernatural.

God can choose to miraculously heal us; but instead he prefers to invite humans to do his work for him: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, a loved one with chicken noodle soup. God could choose to drop our daily bread from the sky (like he once did with the manna in the wilderness); but instead he prefers to invite humans to do his work for him: farmers, butchers, bakers, shop assistants, truck drivers. God could decide to have babies magically appear from storks; but instead he prefers to invite husbands and wives to create babies together with him.

God chooses to invite you to be his partner in creation. Stop and think about this for a moment. Your purpose is to be God’s partner in creation — to do his work in the world. You are his hands, his feet, his voice. Isn’t it amazing that God invites ordinary old you to do his work!? Through you God creates and sustains this world!

Two extremes

When we think about the question “Why am I here? What’s the purpose of life?” I find the answers tend to gravitate toward two extremes.

The first extreme wrongly says there is no purpose for your life, life is just a bunch of random stuff happening. This is a lie. You do have a purpose for your life: your purpose is to do God’s work.

The second extreme falsely suggests that everyone must do amazing things in life, if only you discover your “true purpose.” Yet this view requires that you “discover” your purpose, as if your meaning is found somewhere else. The somewhere else is typically either the past (as if you’ve passed your used-by-date and no longer have purpose), or in the future (if only you’d unearth your life’s real purpose).

God proposes a different sort of answer to the question “Why am I here?” God says that the purpose for your life is right now. Not just in the past or future, but right now, in the present. God says you do have a purpose, it’s not difficult to discover, and it’s right now.

You are God’s image

Remember two weeks ago we heard that we’re created in God’s image. ‘Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.”’ (Genesis 1:26). Being created in God’s image means being his statue, his representation in the world. Like the ancient kings who created statues to be sent out to the far flung corners of their kingdom, God sends you to represent him in the far flung corners of his kingdom. You are sent into the world to represent God as his image. He places you in the world to be his presence.

And not only are you his image, but he calls you to do his work. God is like a boss who delegates his work to you. He trusts you to act on his behalf.[1]

You stand in God’s shoes

So where has God placed you? And what work does he trust you with?

I’ve brought four pairs of shoes to help us understand. God has placed you in your:

(1) Home (slippers). Family members stand in God’s shoes to care for each other. Husbands and wives stand in God’s shoes as they show each other love, as Christ loves each of us. Parents stand in God’s shoes as they create babies, and teach their children the faith.

(2) Work/school/home (work boots). God has placed you in your place of work so that he can love and provide for others. A ‘place of work’ is anywhere you spend most of your day: a paddock, business, home, school, truck. God uses you in your ‘place of work’ as his hands and feet. Some heal the sick. Some grow food. Some care for the frail and needy. Some listen. Others teach, and others are taught.

(3) Community (footy boots). You stand in God’s shoes when you’re engaged in healthy community activities, like enjoying a good game of football or netball, chatting with others down at the swimming pool, looking out for your next door neighbour. Most of you are citizens of this democratic country, state, and local region. So that means you stand in God’s shoes as you elect members to govern this land. These members represent God as they enact laws to protect and guide society.

(4) Church (nice shoes). You stand in God’s shoes when you perform acts of service as the church. In our second reading from Ephesians St Paul says that we the church — the body of Christ — ‘equip’ each other to perform ‘works of service.’ We gather together to be ‘built up,’ to ‘grow’ and become ‘mature’ in the Christ, who is the head of the body (Ephesians 4:11–16).  Let’s take one example: you are performing a work of service for God when you pray. Prayer is one way that God’s kingdom breaks into the world. If you ever wonder what’s the meaning of your life, just pray for someone and you’ll be fulfilling your purpose! I know I need your prayers; all the people in our bulletin need your prayers; your family and friends need your prayers; the people considering the “Life of Jesus” course need your prayers.

You have been freed to do God’s work

God has appointed you to stand in his shoes, continuing to create and sustain this world. Like a good boss or manager, God trusts you and delegates his work to you.

But he doesn’t delegate work that’s impossible for you to complete. He doesn’t ask you to work for your salvation, because he knows you can’t earn this. God knows that you could work two hundred lifetimes and still not earn enough favour with him. Instead God the Father sends his Son to die and be raised again to do this work for you. Relating to salvation the only work he asks you to do is “to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29). God frees you from the all consuming work of saving yourself so that instead you can work for him as his image in the world.

Blessing

So why are you here? What is the meaning and purpose of your life?  God has created you to be his image. God entrusts you with his very own work. Your purpose is to be his hands, feet, and voice in this world. You don’t have to remember the meaning you once had in the past; you don’t need to desperately search for meaning in the future. You have meaning and purpose right now, where God has placed you. He has placed you in your home and family; in your place of work (whether that be a paddock, school, shop, or home); in your community; and in your church. God calls you to stand in his shoes and do his work in these places. Yet he doesn’t ask you to do the impossible, but instead frees you from trying to earn salvation. Through the cross of Jesus you are freed to do the work of God.  So may you go and complete the work God has called you to do right now. Go and fulfill the God-given meaning of your life as you believe in the One he sent, loving and serving others as Christ loves and serves you. Amen.

[1] It’s interesting that humans are called to work both before and after the fall. ‘The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.’ (Genesis 2:15). ‘So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.’ (Genesis 3:23).

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