A retired minister doing hospital work, says, “The chaplains try to combat the seven enemies of the sickroom – pain, anxiety, hostility, guilt feelings, boredom, despair, and loneliness.”
How wonderfully the Saviour, by His presence, power, and grace, can meet each of these problems.
As to “pain” or any other thorn in the flesh, Christ has said, ” … My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
As to “anxiety,” Jesus said, ” … Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26).
As to “hostility,” “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). Impossible with men, but possible with God!
As to “guilt feelings,” it is strange that conscience and plain old conviction for sin should be reckoned an “enemy.” If there is one thing a Gospel minister, a true minister, longs to see today, it is conviction of sin. But since psychology reckons a sense of sin as only a “guilt feeling,” then conviction, good old Bible conviction, must be fought off as a foe.
As it is the work of the Holy Spirit to ” … reprove the world of sin … ” (John 16:8), is He then to be resisted in His work of conviction? Must the Holy Spirit then be treated as an “enemy” of the sickroom? Once the convicted person has confessed and forsaken his sin, then there is the all-sufficient remedy, ” … the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1 :7). Thereafter, thank God, “guilt feelings” need to be no more.
As to “boredom,” God’s mercies ” … are new every morning … ” (Lamentations 3:23). Those who meditate day and night in God’s Word are only “bored” with blessing and joy. Blessed boredom!
As to “despair,” the man without Christ may well despair, being without God, without Christ, and without hope. There is no use saying, ” … Peace, peace … ” to despairing souls, ” … when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 8:11); and “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:21). The only foundation for peace is the blood of Christ, ” … having made peace through the blood of his cross … ” (Colossians 1 :20).
As to “loneliness” – how lonely is the godless man! If even Christians need to be visited in their affliction, how forsaken and lonely must be the lost! But to all Christian persons comes the sweet promise, ” … I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13 :5).
Whether the enemies of the sickroom be “seven” or “seventy times seven,” Christ can overcome them all!