Did You Know Your Condition is Critical?

I have a friend who is in ‘critical condition.’ In fact, I have several friends in critical condition.
Of course that means their condition may result in death. Generally when this happens, a person will be put in a hospital ‘intensive care’ unit until he gets better or dies. You may think I'm heartless, but I have not visited even one of my friends in intensive care. You see, they are not in the hospital; their condition is not physical—their critical condition is spiritual.

Jesus said unless a grain of wheat goes into the ground and dies, the life inside of it will never be released, but when it is in the ground, the conditions of the soil break it open (John 12:24). It is a rather messy process as the seed is cracked and broken—falling to pieces! The exact moment the seed is placed in the earth is critical—the point of death. As the seed breaks up, it is completely changed from its former identity of ‘seed’ to a ‘sprout’ that will someday become a fruit bearing tree.

God has placed many of you in conditions that are breaking you. Perhaps you have lost your job, or your business. Or maybe God has put you in a difficult situation or a hard relationship. You feel like you are falling to pieces. Your temptation is to say “Lord, get me out of this.” But instead you ought to pray “Lord, if you are breaking me from my natural life; if this is my cross, then I choose to take it up.” (Matthew 16:24) By taking up your difficulty (your cross), you are allowing God to bring you to the end of your self life. And after you have come through your crisis, you will find you are experiencing more of Christ’s life.

There will be many such crises in your life, when you will find yourself in God's intensive care. But as you look back on these, you will know it was the best thing that ever happened to you.