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For Those Who Struggle Hard with Health Issues:



“…train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8


This verse in Timothy is an incredibly important verse for those who struggle with health issues.

We struggle uniquely. We don’t necessarily have the luxury of skipping exercise (such as physio, cardio for heart issues, etc). However, we also don’t always have the luxury of being able to be consistent in exercise due to unforeseen complications of health. We live in a desperation to stabilize our bodies enough to function better than we did yesterday. We don’t want to be an overwhelming burden to our loved ones and caretakers. We want to walk on our own, and be able to perform simple tasks (such as showering and going to the washroom). We want to maintain a little bit of independence (in contrast to complete dependence on someone else to do everything for us). Exercise is necessary for the maintenance of our bodies through these unique health trials. It can be the stark choice between being bedridden or being able to walk and live a little bit of life.

We struggle uniquely. We are more aware than the average person of how little control we have. We know that something might happen today that will prevent us from maintaining our bodies tomorrow. We could fall. We could experience new crisis of pain that medication can’t touch, and is utterly overwhelming. We could develop new symptoms that cripple us. We could need surgery that will put us out of commission for some time. There are many things that can derail progress, and we have already experienced that derailing of progress more times than we can count. This cycle is frustrating, and frankly, can feel downright demeaning. We try, we work hard, we are disciplined, but we see very little fruit. Our bodies defy our best efforts. And round and round we go, hoping to have more than four months of consistency in rebuilding.

We struggle uniquely. We understand futility. We fight against futility in ways that most around us cannot comprehend. We strive after the wind. But if we stop…well, that’s just not a happy story...

This is why 1 Timothy 4:8 is an important verse. It’s an anchoring verse. It reminds us to hold onto respect for the value in bodily training. It convicts us to return to the discipline of bodily training, every time our body fails for a while. It convicts us to not give up. It convicts me. This verse helps me to get up every day, and try again and seek to do my part to stay mobile out of love for my family.

But far more importantly, 1 Timothy 4:8 holds out for me the more important discipline. A discipline with promise. A discipline that holds eternal value. Even if I reach the day where I can no longer keep myself mobile through physical training, I have something greater. The pursuit of training in godliness has far more worth. The pursuit of godliness will never be a waste, never be futile, and will have forever promise. I may wind up crippled and dependent in this life, but whatever investment I make into training in godliness will help me to set my hope on the living God. Toiling and striving for godliness is not a cycle of doom and failure. This discipline is only ever a gain…a gain with eternal benefits.

I think those with severe health issues often grasp reality with sober minds. We know we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world (1 Tim 6:5). We are taught this in every small action we take in a day. One day we can open a jar, and the next we cannot. One day we can climb the stairs, and the next we cannot.  Our strength is not our own. We cannot possess our strength in such a way that it remains. We are confronted with weakness in a million ways throughout the passage of just 24 hours. This small verse can be an anchor for our souls. Our unique struggles with health are an opportunity for us to take this to heart and have hope: “godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” While we may be grief-stricken by our health issues and all the relational consequences that come with these, we have unique opportunity to learn godliness with contentment. We learn uniquely what ought to be our number one focus. We learn to press into Christ, and seek his face. We learn to fight through blinding pain and gruesome fatigue to sit at Christ’s feet. This is not for the faint of heart. We persevere through every dismay and every painful loss, and we seek faith and righteousness in Christ. We behold his beauty, and find comfort in His embrace. Our worldview gets transformed, and we seek the things above, not the things of earth.

Our weakness gives us the opportunity to see the meaning in life. We struggle uniquely, but when we press into that struggle and train ourselves in godliness, we learn to truly live for God and love God, we will find riches and a promise of Christ’s eternal love and joy in him.

May the Lord give those of you who suffer in these ways the courage to press on to seek the Lord. May God help me. May God bless you and keep you.

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