The Blessing of Arthritis

I’ve had arthritis since I was 10-years-old. In fact I have Rheumatoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Osteoporosis. That means that joint replacements, bent and disfigured joints and being bowed over like an 90 year-old-man, by the time I was 40 have been my lot.

That means that every year for the last 46 years the physical scope of my life has progressively diminished. No football, no baseball, no volley-ball, no hockey, no hiking, no swimming, no sports of any kind. While I was able to fly a plane and sky-dive for a number of years, arthritis eventually took those from me as well. Why was that a big deal? Because there isn’t a human on earth who wants to be constrained in any way. Being denied physical activity made me crave it like a starving man craves food. Being forced onto disability after 35 years of employment has left me longing to be able to reenter the workforce. Watching other parents play with their children in the park has left me longing to be that kind of parent for my children. Being married for 34 years has left me longing to be the passionate lover my wonderful wife deserves.

Yesterday my grandson asked, “Grandpa, why did God give you arthritis?”
“I don’t know my young friend. Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.”

Although I’ve spent decades pondering this question, and while I’ve known the answer in part for several years, it was only last night that the answer came to me in it’s clearest form to date. Because of my arthritis I have been given Perseverance, Thankfulness and Sufficiency in Christ Jesus. God used my arthritis to bring me to the point of salvation. My character has been developed to the point that I can’t imagine what kind of tragedy would be able to rock my foundation. As the Bible says, “Those who wait upon the Lord are like Mount Zion, unmoved by any circumstance”

I have been given the Perseverance to follow the Lord through any circumstance no matter how difficult. I guarantee you, Wendy and I have been through plenty in our 40 years together. As we’ve grown in our faith in Jesus, we have become a powerful force when confronted by the difficulties of life.

I have been given a spirit of Thankfulness. Being denied what I thought were the important things in life, I have come to immeasurably appreciate the intangibles of life. Bitterness regarding the challenges of life, including the challenge of arthritis, is simply absent. I acknowledge to my Creator a thankfulness for every heartbeat, for every new day, for every child that has come into our family. In fact I have been brought to a point in my life where I can be thankful for each new difficulty. This is because the greater the problem, the greater the amount of Himself that Jesus pours into my life. Jesus either increases the strength of His presence in me to match my load. Or He decreased the load to match the strength that He has given me. The presence of Jesus produces such a feeling of peace and joy that I cannot help but be thankful. I am free to enjoy the development of these personal qualities and characteristics. They can never be taken from me regardless of circumstances.

Most importantly, I have been stripped of any delusion of self-sufficiency. Instead I have found my Sufficiency in Jesus. Instead of fragile self-esteem, I've been given rock-solid Christ-esteem.

For the first 30 years I fought and fought and fought the life that had been handed to me. In my battle with life, I was determined to not allow life to defeat me even if during this fight I destroyed myself and every one around me. Thankfully, it was arthritis that brought me to my knees. Thankfully, it was my arthritis that caused me to seek Jesus for help.

Some may call that weakness. I say, “Yes, and?” As the saying goes, “To what will you look to for help if not to that which is stronger than yourself?” Since the day of my salvation, since the day that I asked Jesus to come into my life as my Lord and Saviour, I can honestly say that every year has been better than the year before.

Now, someone may say to me, “I’ve developed perseverance, thankfulness and self-sufficiency on my own? I don’t need Jesus.” And I say, “Good for you. Go and enjoy your life as best you can.”

The point is, I couldn’t do it on my own. I gave it my best shot and failed. I gave it my best shot and hurt those around me in the process. I could not beat arthritis. It is my belief that a loving God gave / allowed me to have arthritis in order to change me. And believe me, changes were desperately needed. I believe that a loving God denied me the things that I wanted so that He could give me the things that I needed.

Perseverance, Thankfulness and Sufficiency in Christ Jesus. These characteristics are absolutely essential if one is to receive and live the abundant life that Jesus promises to those who follow Him. These characteristics are mine in quantities that amaze and astound me. Life’s challenges are now nothing but specks of lint to be flicked off my shoulder. I am strong in my weakness. God’s strength is made evident in my weakness. Arthritis has been one of my greatest blessings.