Sickness and the Role We Play In It

Sickness and the role we play in it can be a simple matter of what roles we are attempting to play in life. Now, not all sickness is because of our lifestyles; however, most of the time we bring sickness on ourselves. Yes - You can worry, work, push your limits and MAKE yourself sick! Excluding genetically passed on diseases, most sickness boils down to lifestyle choices, and worry. I have been alive and in the ministry long enough to see that worry has brought down more people than war, famine or disease ever could. Why do we worry and why do we stress out? Here is one topic I would argue is a primary reason we find ourselves under the thumb of worry: We step out of our INTENDED roles.

I have watched strong women be brought down hard and fast by sickness or disease because they were carrying too heavy a load. Unfortunately, most of those women were carrying the load they chose – even INSISTED upon lugging around. They tried to be the man AND the woman in the relationship. They would contend with their husbands on every issue, and even rationalize that they HAD to step up to the plate because the husband refused to do so. In reality, that husband was just too tired to fight the constant battle of taking his role because he had to fight for it all the time or he was “punished” after the fact. This is not God’s plan and there will be consequences to our constant demand for control!

Now, for all my feminist friends out there who are outraged right about now, let me clear the muddy water. Just as our shoulders are not strong enough to carry the responsibility of our husbands, equally as much, THEIR shoulders are not strong enough to carry out our roles - or God’s role for us either! Our responsibilities are equally as important, but it is PARAMOUNT that we remain in our vein of purpose. Even if you do not believe in God’s plan for men and women and the roles they play, this concept I am sharing is still true! Watch the twice-divorced corporate executive who scratched, clawed and demanded their way to the top fall ill with cancer, and suddenly, he or she starts counting regrets, wishing they had not had their priorities out of order.

You are only ONE person and you cannot MAKE things happen at your command all the time. The world is NOT going to stop turning if you are not there to spin the axis! The strong woman knows her limitations and is okay with them, and equally, the strong man knows his limitations and knows when to step back and let his Maker take the wheel.

What if I am a single male or female who HAS to play both roles? I do not care who you are, you do not HAVE to play BOTH roles. Allow the Lord to be that partner and you will never go wrong on the choices you make, and you will NEVER go lacking. I have known some very successful single adults who will tell you in a heartbeat that they live their lives as though the Lord is living with them (and by the way, He IS) always asking for His opinion, direction and help. They are always open to the wise counsel of a godly pastor, have a strong prayer life and are moldable no matter how difficult their past experiences were. These folks are complete in every way and there is always a calm aura about them. A very wise single mother of three told me recently when I was in awe of the precision of her decision making ability, “I allow Him to guide me… He CAN be trusted!” There is a reason why He stated in the Word, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalms 55:22 Our shoulders were not made to carry the load intended for HIM.