How loving are we in sickness? We talked about selfishness last week and the
dangerous it brings to relationships, but it probably never shows itself more
clearly than in sickness. Sometimes when a spouse is sick the unwillingness to
care for them becomes apparent. Once they are no longer doing their share the
anger begins to build. On the other side when a spouse is sick that spouse may
become very demanding and want every whim instantly fulfilled with no
consideration of the other responsibilities the healthy spouse has.
So many times I hear complaints about how a man becomes a big baby when he
gets sick and I am sure some women act that way, too. It is easy when we are
suffering to forget about others and focus on ourselves. Part of the growth
process and part of being a parent is realizing that you may get off work
because you are sick, but you are still a parent. It is especially difficult
when both parents are sick.
When I think about how hard it is to care about anyone else’s needs when I
am sick I think about how amazing Jesus truly was. Hanging on the cross after
being up all night, beaten, whipped, scourged, bleeding and hungry Jesus still
thought of others first. First, the very people who crucified Him (Luke 23:34);
secondly, the thief hanging with Him (Luke 23:43); and thirdly, His mother (John
19:26). Only after this did He show concern about His own overwhelming physical,
emotional, and spiritual difficulties.
I know I struggle with selfishness everyday, and I bet you do, too. Part of
becoming more like Jesus is overcoming the ego-monster that lives inside each of
us. There is a lot of truth in Gatorade’s new slogan "win from within". It is
harder to do when we are sick, but pain, illness, or anything else is no excuse
for committing sin.