Content In Christ

I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting a family this morning that is many difficult hardships. I know the two brothers from the basketball ministry and their dad has cancer. Only the mother would come to the basketball games, so I never met the father. When I met him today he was very friendly and full of joy, but he was also full of pain. The cancer enlarged his stomach and it became very evident that he had a large amount of fluid that made his stomach a large, odd shape.

What blessed me so much was seeing this man content in Christ. He told the Lord that he was content with either being healed or going to heaven; he knew he was going to see his Savior. Through the midst of such pain this man was trusting in the saving grace of Jesus; you could see it in his face. My brother and I had the great privileged of anointing him with oil and praying for him and his family. What a great example he was to me.

You see, only the believer has the hope of being with the King. His death could come very soon, and although he may be sad for his family, his face was singing "soon and very soon, I am going to see the King." It was great to also see his family being so supportive of him, especially his wife who has just been trying to help him through all of this.

There is true contentment in Christ, even if you have cancer and are approaching death. To live is Christ and to die is gain.

Throughout the entire time, I was thinking about how the situation could apply to my life and I kept thinking about Ecclesiastes 12:1, which says:

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come.