Pancreas Problems

I have diabetes –and it stinks.

In case you don’t know, diabetes is a disease that causes the pancreas to quit making insulin. Insulin is vital for processing sugar into energy. Without insulin, blood sugar levels cannot be regulated.

Since I’m not a physician, I won’t pretend to explain the chain reaction that follows. Just know that without medical intervention, diabetes can lead to blindness, amputated limbs and other painful issues.

In order to regulate blood sugar, I have to give myself insulin shots every time I eat.

So you can imagine my excitement when I read an article about efforts to develop an artificial pancreas. In fact, I was so excited that I called a friend to tell them about it. I said, “I want to be the first artificial pancreas recipient.” My friend replied, “Don’t you mean you want to be the first successful artificial pancreas recipient?”

He had a point.

It reminds me of times that I’ve said, “I want to be an example to others.” What I should have said is “I want to be a Christ-like example to others.”

Without Christ, my example is not worth following. In fact, without Christ, my example would be fatal for several reasons:

1)   Without Christ, I am an object of God’s wrath –a sinner bound for hell (Ephesians 2:1).

2)   Without Christ, all of my best deeds fall short (Isaiah 64:6).

3)   Without Christ, I cannot be pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6).

4)   Without Christ, I would have no joy (Luke 2:10).

5)   Without Christ, my life has no purpose or meaning (I Cor. 15:12-19)

I am totally dependent upon Christ. Without Him, a faulty pancreas is the least of my problems.