Column Post by Aj Luck
Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,
and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
John 11:4-7
Have you ever seen the old B-mummy movies? You know the ones where someone is shamelessly wrapped in torn white ribbons of fabric, arms outstretched as they walk in a stoic Frankenstein-shuffle, all the while moaning in a cheesy cadence?
Confession: For years, this is how I imagined Lazarus was when Jesus called him out of the tomb.
A mummy.
The other day while lying down {I was still under the weather}, I was listening to my audio Bible. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus soon joined me. Jesus had just gotten news that his dear friend, whom he loved dearly, was sick.
That always frustrated me when I read {or hear} when Jesus “heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
Why didn’t Jesus just drop everything and run to his friend?
Why doesn’t Jesus drop everything and rescue me in the midst of my failures and mistakes?
His only response to His friend? This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s son may be glorified.
That sounded good–all for God’s glory. But Lazarus did die.
Much like my marriage, that did end in divorce. And how I was abused. And how my dreams were shattered. And that I did end up battling a chronic illness.
But Jesus waited until Lazarus was dead—rotten, decaying with no hint of life left in him–before He showed up and called Lazarus forth.
It was then, only when Lazarus could do nothing on his own {when his life was no longer his own} that Lazarus was able to fully respond to God’s command to come forth. Not as a mummy, but as a brand new creation.
God wants the same for me, for you—to create us anew.
If we would only choose to exchange the closure we sometimes crave for the trust of surrender. If we can only let our past die—to the point of a rotten, decaying, unrecognizable heap of nothing that belongs in the tomb.
When Jesus calls us to move forward in His purposes and His perfect timing, you can believe He doesn’t intend for us to be entangled in the bandages of the past. If we surrender to His work in our lives, we will emerge from the ashes a brand new creation. That’s the sort of freedom God has in mind!
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free for sure (John 8:36).
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Aj is a blogger, bookworm, wife and mommy, and an author of children’s books, spiritual thrillers, and inspirational works. Aj’s blog, Shattered Perspectives, is dedicated to encouraging and helping women who have suffered and/or are struggling with abuse. In her spare time Aj can be found nursing cold Diet Cokes and searching for awesome bargains in nearby thrift stores. She resides in Florida with her husband, son, two dogs and the biggest diva of a Siamese cat ever, and can be reached by email at aj@shatteredperspectives.com.
