Marsha's Musings: Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

Galatians 4:13-16 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.
Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

It has been suggested that Paul may have had an eye disease of some sort.  I tend to agree with that assessment. In Galatians 6:11 he says, "See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!"  Paul usually had a secretary write his letters for him, but this one he wrote himself and it must have been a challenge judging by his exclamation here about his large letters and pointing out he did it with his own hand.

I'm not exactly sure why it was his illness that motivated him to first preach the gospel to the Galatian people.  I haven't seen anything in scripture to indicate why, unless it had something to do with when God struck him blind when he was on his way to persecute Christians.  Perhaps he had some ongoing ailment as a result of that?  We do not know.

I do know that sometimes God has to strike us down with a "thorn in the flesh" that doesn't go away in order to make us trust more fully in Him for our daily strength.  In forcing us to come into a closer relationship with Him, the Rivers of Living Water can't help but overflow to others.

In my own experience, my "thorn in the flesh" has put me in contact with many in the medical field, some of whom I've had the opportunity to share the gospel with.  My friend says I am a missionary to the medical profession. So I can say that for some, it was because of an illness that I first shared the truth of the gospel with them.

Some of them have not been accepting of it either.  I have often felt like the Apostle Paul when he says, "Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?"  This is discouraging.  But we can take comfort in knowing that God is in control.  He knows those who are His and He will bring them to a saving knowledge of Himself in His own good time. We are only required to be faithful in proclaiming the Way, the Truth and the Life.