Hunger . . . thirst . . . Would you believe they are gifts?
Few of us would consider hunger and thirst welcome benefits.
Yet, without hunger, we wouldn’t eat. And when we don’t eat, we get weaker and
weaker. Just ask the cancer patient who is going through chemotherapy and is
struggling to get by that metallic taste that most foods seem to have. It can
be a real challenge for them to eat enough to nourish their good cells while
the chemo destroys the bad.
What about thirst? How can a dry, parched throat be a gift?
The truth is, if we don’t keep hydrated, our bodies lose fluids very quickly, threatening our lives. Doctors
and nutritionists constantly emphasize our need to drink plenty of water, not
only to keep hydrated but to flush out impurities in our systems.
As I thought about these physical “gifts” that are usually
considered negative, I realized there are similar spiritual “gifts”. Jesus considered
hunger and thirst for God's approval a blessing. (Matthew 5:6) Feelings like emptiness
and guilt can “gift” us with the recognition of our spiritual needs—allowing us
to bring about change necessary to our spiritual health.
Emptiness, for example, can lead us to a relationship with
Jesus. In 1670, Blaise Pascal published his book, Pensées, which was a
defense of the Christian religion. In that book, he has a quote: “What else
does this craving . . . proclaim but that there was once in man a true
happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? . . .
This infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object;
in other words, by God himself.”
We’ve all felt the benefits of guilt. Sometimes it is
instantaneous. As soon as the nasty words are out of our mouths, we realize
what or how we spoke, and can apologize on the spot. Other times guilt nags at
us, causing us to pause and reflect. In doing so, we give God the opportunity
to heighten our awareness of sin and bring about repentance.
Of course, both physical and spiritual “gifts’ like these,
when over-abundantly present, can
become (or indicate) deeper, underlying problems. But in our everyday lives,
God can use what seem to us to be unwanted “gifts”, in just the right amount,
as truly helpful favors.
What unwelcome “gifts” is God using in your life right now?
Be encouraged!
Pam
©2019 Pamela D. Williams
Comments welcome via Facebook
or writepam71@gmail.com.
