“I Am Not Defined By…”
Scripture: James 5:10-11, James 5:13-16 and Philippians 4:6-7
Sermon by Mark Elliott Miller
Good morning. It’s a great day to be in the House of the Lord. I’d like to begin my teaching today by sharing how my life changed last Summer. It was a Sunday in June and I finished teaching a Sunday School lesson in the Aldersgate Class at Douglas First Methodist Church. My wife Denise and I walked down the corridor from the classroom to the sanctuary as we always do, and sat down at our usual pew to enjoy the traditional service. As Paul Elliott, our pastor, started preaching, I started seeing double. I blinked many times and turned to my wife to say there were two Pauls. Since I have an off-beat sense of humor, she looked puzzled, so I explained I suddenly had double vision. When we got home, I looked in the mirror to discover one eye had turned in towards my nose.
The next day, I was seen by an optometrist in Tifton who diagnosed me with Fifth Nerve Cranial Palsy and prescribed a pirate’s eye patch to alternate between each eye. He said, over time, the condition would correct itself. The following week, the other eye did the same thing. I went back to the optometrist a second time and he used various prisms to see if glasses with prism lenses could correct the double vision. My vision got worse. He then referred me to the Neuro-Ophthalmology Clinic at Emory in Atlanta. And the adventure continued. I learned the next available appointment was one year out but I could show up at the main Emergency Room at Emory and they would work me in. During this same week, my wife and I had planned to go on a mission trip to Oregon. My optometrist advised me to stay at home but Denise was able to travel with a group from Park Avenue Methodist Church in Valdosta. When she returned 7 days later, we traveled together to the Emory ER. The neuro-ophthalmologist said the optometrist’s diagnosis was a good guess, but not the right one. She then sent me back to the Emergency Room for a 12-hour overnight adventure of eye scans and photos, two CT scans, an MRI, and many blood tests. The eye specialist needed to rule out a brain tumor or other mass pressing on optic nerves. All tests were negative and one specialized blood test was pending from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota; so I was sent home. Three weeks later, on Monday, July 21, 2025—my wife’s birthday—we returned to Emory Hospital in Atlanta. I was seen by a neurologist to get the correct diagnosis: a rare auto-immune disease called myasthenia gravis, or MG.
At this time, I was less than a month from my 65th birthday and had retired from a 38-year career as a healthcare administrator 7 months earlier, so my pity party went into high gear. The neurologist explained that I had ocular myasthenia gravis and, over the next two years, the disease could cause weakness in arms and legs, difficulty eating, and breathing problems. She started me on a medication to address the double vision. After 7 months and multiple medications, my vision was restored, but other neurological issues and severe fatigue continued.
To help you understand where my thoughts were going at this time, it’s important to share how my years in healthcare molded my perceptions. I worked with hospice over several years of my career and my mind darted back and forth through Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ five stages of dying as I faced the uncertainties of my new life with MG. These stages: Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance.
I’m not dying from my MG, but some days when I am alone, I am so terrified about what lies ahead, I ask God to take me home. The uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring is emotionally rattling my very being.
But giving up is not an option. My wife has been a wonderful support to keep me as positive as possible. I now get regularly-scheduled infusions in Douglas that seem to keep me seeing clearly, and that’s priceless. I also joined an online MG support group from St. Petersburg, Florida and talk monthly with people of all ages who have lived with MG for many years. And on my spiritual walk, every Tuesday night, I talk with Christian brothers in an online Transformation Group. It was during this men’s group a few months ago that I had a catharsis. Yes, I have a disease. A serious disease. But IT DOES NOT DEFINE ME. I do not know what my future holds, but my Heavenly Father does.
When I was baptized 22 years ago, I was born again. I left my Jewish life of 44 years that was filled with 613 laws I could never completely follow. I traded monotheistic Judaism for a triune God who created the universe, died on the cross and rose again, and a Holy Spirit who envelopes me with peace when I am overwhelmed with uncertainty and fear. Now, I surrender my disease to the Almighty and humbly say, “Lord, lead me where you need me.”
Throughout the Bible, our awesome God has conquered demons far greater than the medical terror I face. Those who have trusted in the Lord believed His promise. I have traded my uncertain future for God’s plan. While I hope my journey will help you if you are struggling with health issues; more importantly, I encourage you to lay your heartache at God’s throne. I would like to share scripture today that amplifies how we can get through the worst trials imaginable if we wholeheartedly trust in God and petition him in prayer.
PLEASE STAND IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD
James 5:10-11
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
James 5:13-16
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
THE WORD OF GOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD…THANKS BE TO GOD.
In these scriptures by James, the brother of Jesus, he stresses an active faith, a faith that expresses itself in Christian living. True disciples of Jesus Christ will not live in hypocrisy—saying one thing and doing something else. If our faith does not express itself in Christian action, it is useless and dead. James 5:10-11 encourage us to endure suffering with patience, using the prophets and Job as examples of steadfast faith and highlighting God’s compassion and mercy. James believed in the power of the words we speak. One commentary writer stated one of the most difficult, and yet most important, parts of our body to control is the tongue. God wants us to submit to him in humility, trusting that he will take care of us.
God wants us to bring our needs before him in prayer, for he hears and answers the prayer of faith. James 5:13-16 highlights the power of prayer and community support in both physical and spiritual healing. This prayer allows us to be active and positive, and keeps us in communion with God. God desires our prayers in both difficult and pleasant times. James firmly believed that sick people need to be prayed over since God is the source of healing. He taught his contemporaries that sickness can be alleviated through public confession and prayer.
The apostle Paul wrote the book Philippians as a letter when he sat in a foul Roman prison, at a time of persecution of the Philippians by their pagan neighbors. He intended to encourage the Christians at Philippi to live joyfully in all situations. In Philippians 4:6-7, he encourages readers to replace anxiety and worry with prayer and thanksgiving, promising God’s peace to guard hearts and minds. Pastor John Maxwell, in his Leadership Bible, states Paul demonstrated a positive attitude that had little to do with circumstances. Attitudes can change, just like circumstances. Attitudes can be improved if we learn to go to God and refocus our minds. Attitudes have a source for their strength.
These three verses from James and Paul written over 2000 years ago still apply to our embattled world, our relationships, and our individual challenges. So, how do we pray for an attitude of gratitude to give God all the glory?
My wife will tell you that I am not a very patient man. Before my illness, I was a Type A overachiever with a mind and mouth that rarely rested. I mistakenly thought I was in control of my destiny. When things I worked towards didn’t turn out as I expected or on my timeline, I sometimes looked at others to blame rather than consider my plans were not God’s plans. I spent many years telling myself and others that God gave us free will to accomplish whatever we set out to do. As I’ve grown older and perhaps wiser on my Christian walk, I’ve learned how the power of selfless prayer can open doors to opportunities and heal our brokenness. I pray daily for others in need and express gratitude to God as much as I can before asking for His intervention in my life. I do not pray for patience; only for the Holy Spirit to help me choose my words wisely and draw me closer to the Almighty.
In conclusion, I want to encourage you to listen to the wisdom found in Paul’s Colossians 3:16. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
When you face heartache, before you cry out for God to intervene, lift up your gratitude for the blessings you have. I am grateful for my wife, my healthy children, stepchildren and grandchildren. I am grateful for Social Security and savings that allow us to have a nice home and to travel. I am grateful for friends and our church. I am grateful for the doctors who are committed to keeping me healthy. And most of all, I’m grateful for God’s grace that allows me to live another day in fairly good health.
I worked hard to shift my mindset from being a victim to being a grateful child of God. I want to encourage each of you to count your blessings every day, even when times seem hopeless. As Matthew reports Jesus’ words (11:28), “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” And remember, as Peter shared (1 Peter 5:7), “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
If you are facing a health challenge, I’d like to invite you to come up to the altar following the benediction for a few minutes of prayer. If you would like to join us as partners in prayer and pray with others, you also are welcome. Remember: We are not defined by any illness. We are defined only by God. Thanks be to God.
Eastman First Methodist Church 