We are going to talk about a different type of our fitness today. What do we do when others judge us or have expectations we cannot meet due to our health? It can be tough, but God’s Word has the answer.

My niece reminded me a bit ago that my “doing well” is like another person’s “I’m sick.” We had been talking about how far I’ve come in my recovery as well as how much further I have to go. Sometimes people’s expectations are different from our reality.

How do we handle it when that happens? We need to handle it with grace. Jesus tells us to “44 …love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” in Matthew 5:44. (The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 5:43–44.) In 1 Corinthians 13, we are given examples of how to love others. We always want to give peeople grace, understanding that our situations are unusual and sometimes difficult to understand. (Some days, I struggle to understand my own limitations!)

In this, we also can remember (and if you are like me remind ourselves over and over) that we are living our lives for God. Our stewardship of our health is something we do for God. We do not need to meet others’ expectations. Keeping our speech “alway with grace” we can kindly answer them while doing what God would have us do for our health. (And, He gives wisdom to help us know how much to do. Isn’t that awesome?)

This summer, as I recover, I am striving to get back to “my normal” but sometimes have to cancel last minute as strength eludes me or side effects kick in. Twice this summer, I had to cancel on the same group. Their response was a Christ-like example to me and brought joy to my heart. These dear people were kind and gracious. They even checked in to see how they could help or make activities more accessible. They asked what had happened in order to understand, not judge. When the next activity came up, they reached out again to see if I would be able to attend. I was stunned at the love they showed. Finally, I was able to attend an activity!

My niece was right. It is hard for others to fathom what our lives are like, what our limitations are. Yet, we can respond to misunderstanding with grace and kindness. May God use us to glorify Him in this!

We would love to hear from you. What are you working toward in your health? What responses have you found helpful when misunderstood?