As some of you may already know, I recently had a near-death experience last year. No, I am not talking about some out-of-body supernatural experience. I literally almost died in the hospital due to a perforated colon. What caused my colon to perforate you ask? It was a medication that I was prescribed called Clozapine. After a whole month of my wife and I reporting certain side effects to my nurse practitioner and him not listening to us, I finally had to get rushed to the emergency room. Some people would probably be pretty angry about this but I am not angry in the slightest because there has been good that has come from this just as God promises in Romans 8:28. What good could have come from this experience? For starters, my medication was greatly reduced because I was overly medicated and my bond with my wife has only strengthened. Also, I have learned valuable life lessons from this experience that I would like to share with you in this blog. I hope and pray that you will be encouraged and strengthened in your faith after reading this blog. The Lord will sometimes bring us to the end of our lives to teach us something we need to learn because He knows that that is what it will take to get our attention. These life lessons are the following:
1) Life is Short-Live Each Day As If Its Your Last
2) God is Sovereign Even Over Our Suffering
3) Material Belongings Do Not Matter, Family & Friends Matter
4) Trust in Christ Even If The Lord Kills You
5) Man Needs God's Word Daily
I will now elaborate on each of these points but I would like to first say that these are not the only lessons I've learned. They are simply the most important ones.
Life is Short--Live Each Day As If Its Your Last
__________________________________________
My near-death experience has really shown me just how fragile and fickle life really is. None of them are really promised tomorrow. Our culture tries to bombard us with messages about "preparing for a better tomorrow" but the truth is none of us can even know if we will live to see tomorrow. We can spend our whole lives preparing ourselves for that college education so that we can get a good career, then one day get into a freak car accident and it will all be for nothing. This is why it is better to live out our day as if there is no tomorrow. We should live today as if tomorrow we could be facing the Lord Himself. What is it that you would like the Lord to find you doing if He were to call you home right now? This is a question we all need to wrestle with but as for me, I want the Lord to find me to live my life in gratitude for what He has done for me on the cross. I understand my own sin and depravity and I understand how much He has shown me grace by taking my punishment upon Himself too. This knowledge causes me to want to give up my life for Him because He has given up His life for me. This is why I truly understand what John meant in 1 John 4:19 when he said,
"We love because He first loved us"
God is Sovereign Even Over Our Suffering
_____________________________________
When I was in the hospital for three months last year, the Lord kept bringing to my mind Romans 8:28 which says,
"And know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose"
This verse is the simple most profound statement of truth that I have ever heard. My experience has taught me that no matter what this life brings me that God is still in control. It is God who is sovereign, not my circumstances or my disability. God promises that He will work everything out for my good and I know this to be true even if I do not always comprehend how or even feel like it is true. I know that my perceptions over any circumstance cannot be trusted, but I can always trust His word. I now realize just how fragile life really is but God is in control over whatever comes to pass. This is remarkable to me because my mania has a way of making me think that I am the master of my own fate, but in reality, it is actually Him who is the Master of the Universe.
Material Possessions Do Not Matter, Family & Friends Are What Truly Matters
_____________________________________________________________________
This is a very important lesson that I learned because before my experience I was very much into material possessions. I know that this might come as a shock to those who know me personally, but it is true. While I have never been a rich man, I used to desire to have the latest piece of technology. The reason why I had this desire was primarily that deep down I believed that if I had the latest technology then I would truly matter. However, my experience has taught me that material items do not matter because you cannot take them with you when you die. However, what does truly matter is the lives of the people whom you touch while on this earth. My family and friends have really stepped up and been there for me during the darkest times in my life and this latest dark time was no different. It is because of this that I deeply cherish these people.
Trust In The Lord Even If He Kills You
___________________________________
I know that this lesson might sound controversial to some of my readers, but it has been the biggest life lesson that I had to learn. I stated earlier that life is fragile and it is because of this that we need to trust in the Sovereignty of God. I know that this may sound scary because it requires us to give up control over our own lives, but the primary reason why we can trust in God's plan is that God truly is good. I have come to the realization that God is completely good no matter what my circumstances may say. It is for this reason that I say that no matter what I will trust in Jesus Christ even if the Lord kills me. This is remarkable for me to say this because on January 10th I have another life-changing surgery coming up and there is a possibility that I may not come out of it alive, but I trust in the Lord completely because I know that He is sovereign and He is good. I would like to live through the surgery so that I can continue enjoying my marriage and my ministry work but I love the Lord and I submit to His will no matter what.
Man Needs God's Word Daily
___________________________
"But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
During my three-month hospital stay, one of the things that really got me through that experience was being able to read the Holy Scriptures. I recognize the importance of daily being fed by the word of God. When we are not in the Word, we will suffer terribly. However, when we are daily in the Scriptures, our spiritual life is strengthened. I know this is not easy to do because sometimes we do not feel like we want to read His word, but we must discipline our bodies to really study His word. We cannot live without physical food and at the same time, our spiritual lives cannot survive without the spiritual sustenance of the Word of God.
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
Check out the other CCMH Ministry Website
1) Life is Short-Live Each Day As If Its Your Last
2) God is Sovereign Even Over Our Suffering
3) Material Belongings Do Not Matter, Family & Friends Matter
4) Trust in Christ Even If The Lord Kills You
5) Man Needs God's Word Daily
I will now elaborate on each of these points but I would like to first say that these are not the only lessons I've learned. They are simply the most important ones.
Life is Short--Live Each Day As If Its Your Last
__________________________________________
My near-death experience has really shown me just how fragile and fickle life really is. None of them are really promised tomorrow. Our culture tries to bombard us with messages about "preparing for a better tomorrow" but the truth is none of us can even know if we will live to see tomorrow. We can spend our whole lives preparing ourselves for that college education so that we can get a good career, then one day get into a freak car accident and it will all be for nothing. This is why it is better to live out our day as if there is no tomorrow. We should live today as if tomorrow we could be facing the Lord Himself. What is it that you would like the Lord to find you doing if He were to call you home right now? This is a question we all need to wrestle with but as for me, I want the Lord to find me to live my life in gratitude for what He has done for me on the cross. I understand my own sin and depravity and I understand how much He has shown me grace by taking my punishment upon Himself too. This knowledge causes me to want to give up my life for Him because He has given up His life for me. This is why I truly understand what John meant in 1 John 4:19 when he said,
"We love because He first loved us"
God is Sovereign Even Over Our Suffering
_____________________________________
When I was in the hospital for three months last year, the Lord kept bringing to my mind Romans 8:28 which says,
"And know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose"
This verse is the simple most profound statement of truth that I have ever heard. My experience has taught me that no matter what this life brings me that God is still in control. It is God who is sovereign, not my circumstances or my disability. God promises that He will work everything out for my good and I know this to be true even if I do not always comprehend how or even feel like it is true. I know that my perceptions over any circumstance cannot be trusted, but I can always trust His word. I now realize just how fragile life really is but God is in control over whatever comes to pass. This is remarkable to me because my mania has a way of making me think that I am the master of my own fate, but in reality, it is actually Him who is the Master of the Universe.
Material Possessions Do Not Matter, Family & Friends Are What Truly Matters
_____________________________________________________________________
This is a very important lesson that I learned because before my experience I was very much into material possessions. I know that this might come as a shock to those who know me personally, but it is true. While I have never been a rich man, I used to desire to have the latest piece of technology. The reason why I had this desire was primarily that deep down I believed that if I had the latest technology then I would truly matter. However, my experience has taught me that material items do not matter because you cannot take them with you when you die. However, what does truly matter is the lives of the people whom you touch while on this earth. My family and friends have really stepped up and been there for me during the darkest times in my life and this latest dark time was no different. It is because of this that I deeply cherish these people.
Trust In The Lord Even If He Kills You
___________________________________
I know that this lesson might sound controversial to some of my readers, but it has been the biggest life lesson that I had to learn. I stated earlier that life is fragile and it is because of this that we need to trust in the Sovereignty of God. I know that this may sound scary because it requires us to give up control over our own lives, but the primary reason why we can trust in God's plan is that God truly is good. I have come to the realization that God is completely good no matter what my circumstances may say. It is for this reason that I say that no matter what I will trust in Jesus Christ even if the Lord kills me. This is remarkable for me to say this because on January 10th I have another life-changing surgery coming up and there is a possibility that I may not come out of it alive, but I trust in the Lord completely because I know that He is sovereign and He is good. I would like to live through the surgery so that I can continue enjoying my marriage and my ministry work but I love the Lord and I submit to His will no matter what.
Man Needs God's Word Daily
___________________________
"But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
During my three-month hospital stay, one of the things that really got me through that experience was being able to read the Holy Scriptures. I recognize the importance of daily being fed by the word of God. When we are not in the Word, we will suffer terribly. However, when we are daily in the Scriptures, our spiritual life is strengthened. I know this is not easy to do because sometimes we do not feel like we want to read His word, but we must discipline our bodies to really study His word. We cannot live without physical food and at the same time, our spiritual lives cannot survive without the spiritual sustenance of the Word of God.
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
Check out the other CCMH Ministry Website
I agree with what you said Brother. Romans 8:28 is a good passage to cling to. All of Romans 8 is good. We need to trust in the Lord even if He slays us. Everything He does is for our benefit, even when he chastises us. He never punishes His children because Christ took all of our punishment on the Cross. As a loving Father He corrects us and it can be painful at times but it will draw us closer to Christ and His word. I have you in prayer daily especially you, your wife and your Ministry as well as your upcoming surgery.
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