The Greatest Good Can Come from Cancer
by David Gira
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
The word “cancer” tends to bring to mind only bad things—chemotherapy, nausea and sickness, losing your hair, disability, loss of your job and income, exorbitant medical costs, scary surgeries, losing body parts, chronic pain, saying goodbye to loved ones, and even death. The Bible says that God is working for your good in all these things, too.
Saint Paul, the great missionary of the New Testament, wrote these words in a letter to a church in Rome. First, he acknowledged the Christians’ “present sufferings” (Romans 8:18), frustrations, death, and dying. This suffering may have been the result of life-threatening religious persecution. In their struggle, he assured them: “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
In your present suffering from cancer, you can expect to see God working for your good in countless ways. Here are a few possibilities to consider. Friends and family may surround you with more love than you ever imagined. God could provide for you in ways you never dared to imagine. Your faith in God might grow exponentially as you experience healing. Relationships could deepen and reconciliation may occur. Imagine discovering a new and greater purpose for your life or becoming a better spouse, parent, or friend.
For "those who love him," the good that God can accomplish in a time of cancer is limitless. The Lord may physically heal you, which would be pretty darn good. He will assuredly accomplish healing in many other dimensions of your life. All of these are very good.
Yet the greatest work God wants to accomplish in your life is this: enabling you to have an intimate, transforming relationship with him through faith in Jesus! This is the “purpose” to which God’s called you. It is more important than the length of your life, your health status, or anything else.
Hear his voice calling and turn to him. Accept his son Jesus as your savior and Lord. Believe in the power of his cross to forgive you of all your sins and set you free from the power of death. Be reconciled to God, born again, and filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Receive his assurance that you are a child of God. Become like and live like Jesus Christ. Believe that when your life on earth is finished your life in heaven with God and the saints will begin!
A cancer diagnosis can help you to hear Christ’s invitation and respond in a whole new way. If that happens during your cancer experience, God has accomplished in it the greatest good possible!
Pray: Lord, help me to see past all the bad things about cancer to all the good things you are doing in my life. Help me grow in my relationship with you and faith in your son, Jesus. Amen.
Your Turn: Pat Barrett’s song “Canvas and Clay” proclaims God’s desire to use everything in our lives for our good and God’s glory. “I know nothing has been wasted, no failure or mistake. You're an artist and a potter; I'm the canvas and the clay.” Give thanks today for the good things God is accomplishing with your cancer experience.
Michael David Gira, Jr., Cancer Survivor
David is an ordained United Methodist Pastor and graduate of Duke Divinity School. He and his wife, Amy, live in Raleigh, North Carolina, and have three children. In 2017 he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. In his book, How Cancer Cured Me, he shares many ways he experienced God’s healing. Writing for Cancer Companions, he continues to proclaim Christ’s hope and healing power to others experiencing cancer. https://www.davidgira.com/how-cancer-cured-me