My diabetes is not genetic or caused by any medical condition that is out of my control. I eat too much of the wrong stuff and do not exercise enough. If I go to my doctor, he is going to tell me to eat better and exercise more. He is absolutely right. If I did both of those things to the right levels, I would not have diabetes. The thing is, I don't want to eat right nor exercise more. (I'm actually eating some Nutter Butter cookies as I write this. Not good.) It does not matter how many times my doctor tells me what to do, I am not going to follow his advice (at least not to the extent that I need to). I just want him to fix me--get rid of the diabetes. Hit the reset button on my carb levels so I can keep eating the stuff I like.
I also have problems in my life. My marriage could be better. My kids could be making better decisions (this is actually an understatement). My job could be better. If I take my problems to God, he will give me advice in the same vein as my doctor. He is going to tell me to love my wife more; listen to her when she wants to talk; stop being rude. He'll tell me to be tougher on the kids. He'll suggest my problems at work are because of my attitude and efforts. The thing is, I don't want to change in any of these areas either. I know what I should be doing but I don't want to make the effort. I just want God to make my problems go away.
There is no magic pill to cure diabetes and there will be no miracle to fix all the problems in my life. Now what?
One path to take is to simply accept where I am at; don't let things get worse but also don't do the needful to improve. I'm not really that unhappy where I am and moving off of center in either direction will not be fun. I can learn to live with where I am, right? The problem with this strategy is two-fold. First, if my health declines more, I will face some serious problems. My feet or fingers could get amputated. I could have a stroke. None of that would be good and is not a fair trade to have the ability to eat a donut or some cookies once in awhile. The other problem is that my bad behavior affects other people. It's not really fair to them for me not to try harder to be a better husdand, dad, and co-worker.
Another path to take is to make the effort. Step it up. Eat better. Listen more. Stop goofing off and spending so much time on entertainment activities. I would prefer this but my track record is pretty dismal. I start off well but then taper off as real life starts getting too hard. Will it be different this time? I doubt it.
Maybe, I just admit defeat and take the treatment to the next level. For the diabetes, my doctor wants to increase the treatment and put me on insulin. That would help but once I start, I can never stop, never go back. Also, I will just eat more junk to account for the increased insulin. How does that really help?
For the rest, what can God do for me? Maybe the metaphorically equivalent treatment is to completely change the focus of my life. As the Bible says, my life is just a mist that is here for a short while. Heaven is my true home. That is where my treasure should be stored (Luke 12:32-34). Jesus invites me to deny myself and pick his up cross (Matt. 16:24). He says I should take his yoke upon me for his yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matt 11:30). Maybe my treasure is not my health, nor my job. Maybe his cross and his yoke are telling (and showing) others that God loves them. Maybe I need to stop looking for change and just trust that God will work all things for my good (Rom. 8:28). Maybe I need to stop trying to do things myself and let Jesus live his life through me (Gal. 2:20).
None of this is easy nor comes naturally. All of this is the complete opposite of the way my sinful nature wants to run my life. This is the struggle that Paul describes in Romans 7. "In my mind I am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful self I am a slave to the law of sin. I thank God for his salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
That being said, I know that I can do all things through Christ. This does not mean I can perform brain surgery. It does not mean that I will start eating correctly or listen more to my wife. It means that in Christ, God will help me carry the cross, and take up his yoke. It means that I can endure all things, all hardships, all setbacks, all medical issues. I can add to my treasures in heaven. I can share the gospel message and the love of Jesus. Because it is not me. It is Christ living in me.
Lord I believe. Help thou my unbelief.
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